Northern Ireland Street League

Changing Lives through Football

What is it?
Northern Ireland Street League is a 5 a-side football league set up for the disadvantaged groups of society.

Who is it for?
Homeless Drug and alcohol dependant Asylum seekers and Refugees Long term unemployed Other disadvantaged groups

What happens?
2 hours of football every Friday-Belfast and Derry~Londonderry Teams playing at least 4 games a week league 3 times a year Play on 3G pitches

Why Football?
-Team activity -Physical Health -Mental Health benefits -Discipline -Motivation -Breakdown of barriers -Friendships -opportunities -education programmes

 Street League-The journey

Year 1- 2010
-Start of Street League(Belfast) with 7 teams including 1 from Ballymena -launch of website -Invitation to All-Ireland Championships

Homeless World Cup Trails for Ireland Team) Belfast Street League player Ciaran Murphy made it into the squad

Year 2 2011
-Another successful league
-Introduction to Education course -Another player selected for the Ireland Homeless World Cup team Niall McClafferty

Year 3 - 2012
-extra funding from Comic Relief
to provide Education programme until 2015 covering coaching, mental health awareness and drug awareness courses

-Players become coaches through the Educational programme - 11 aside team set up and presented with kit

Year 3 continued - 2012

-Belfast team wins all Ireland finals in Dublin -New Street League starts in Derry~Londonderry by Irish FA Football For All development officer-Sarah Keys -Applied to have an NI team in the Homeless World Cup 2013

Year 4- 2013
-plans start to prepare for the first ever NI team to compete in Homeless World Cup-Poznan, Poland, August
-players from Belfast and Derry~Londonderry Street Leagues take part in trials for the HWC -NI International Manager Michael ONeill take a Street League coaching session -August 6-19. Homeless World Cup-Poznan, Poland

Have fun and you have won

The future for Street League

Grow Street League in Belfast and North West Provide training that leads to qualifications and employment Provide referee courses-get players involved in running and managing Street League Build our own homeless World Cup pitches in Belfast Fundraising plans League and World Cup Reach out to more excluded groups NI Street League accessable to all in NI

Encourage female participation

Have a female team compete at HWC

Northern Ireland Street League Video