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ACN cross-community football team from Belfast visit London
Saturday 9 November 2013: London, UK -
A group of 14-17 year olds from the Ballymurphy and Shankill areas of Belfast visited London as our guests to watch the Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park.
Along with the Crystal Palace FC Foundation, we organised the trip that was made possible thanks to funding from the Northern Ireland Assembly with support from Laureus and St. James’ Place.
The trip followed hot on the heels of successful summer sessions back in August (2013) that the Crystal Palace FC Foundation delivered in partnership with ourselves at the Belfast at the Hammer Leisure Centre on Shankill Road and the Bunscoil An Tsleibhe Dhuibh School in the Ballymurphy Estate.
For the past three weeks training sessions were held separately in both the Catholic and Protestant areas of Ballymurphy and Shankill to form a squad of 22 players who play their usual club football for a diverse mixture of teams including Newhill FC, Shankill Juniors, Linfield, Glendowan, Crusaders, and Albert Foundry FC.
These players were then brought together and mixed into two teams with 16 players then selected for the trip based not only on their footballing ability but their positive involvement in their community, opportunities to progress in both their personal and sporting lives.
Once the team was selected at the end of September, every Sunday since has seen training taking place alternately between Ballymurphy and Shankill in a safe and friendly environment and in the process building relationships and breaking down barriers between young people who only live a few minutes’ drive or walk from each but who never normally have had the chance to meet each other.
After flying into London on Friday and settling in their accommodation at the original home of the Eagles; Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, the lads played small-sided games against the Crystal Palace FC development centre players with the Belfast side coming out on top in both games winning 5-0 and 5-2.
The lads made such a great impression on the Palace coaches present that the details of them were taken with the view of an opportunity for a further trails in the near future and more happiness was to come for the Belfast squad as following the match, one player who was set to play for them but was called up to represent the Northern Ireland U16 side instead - Caoimhghin Mulligan - helped his side beat England U16s at the Goldsands Stadium in Bournemouth in the SkySports Victory Shield match.
Saturday saw the group receive a comprehensive training session from Palace coaches in their academy dome, and it was not just the players who learnt a lot as James Braniff, one of the Belfast coaches, received coaching himself, gaining a valuable insight into how a Premier League club works.
Upon arrival at Selhurst Park the group received a guided tour where they saw all parts of the ground including the boardroom and even the changing room where they met past present Palace players including Neil Alexander, Marouane Chamakh, Kenny Sansom and former Republic of Ireland winger Eddie McGoldrick.
A photo opportunity with the Palace Crystals cheerleaders and Kayla the Eagle soon followed before the lads settled into their seats to watch the exciting 0-0 draw, interspersed by a presentation on the pitch at half-time to an enthusiastic and warm welcome from the capacity crowd.
Before heading back the group went on a tourist trip around London to get some last minute presents to take home following their successful weekend.
ACN cross-community football team from Belfast visit London
Saturday 9 November 2013: London, UK -
A group of 14-17 year olds from the Ballymurphy and Shankill areas of Belfast visited London as our guests to watch the Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park.
Along with the Crystal Palace FC Foundation, we organised the trip that was made possible thanks to funding from the Northern Ireland Assembly with support from Laureus and St. James’ Place.
The trip followed hot on the heels of successful summer sessions back in August (2013) that the Crystal Palace FC Foundation delivered in partnership with ourselves at the Belfast at the Hammer Leisure Centre on Shankill Road and the Bunscoil An Tsleibhe Dhuibh School in the Ballymurphy Estate.
For the past three weeks training sessions were held separately in both the Catholic and Protestant areas of Ballymurphy and Shankill to form a squad of 22 players who play their usual club football for a diverse mixture of teams including Newhill FC, Shankill Juniors, Linfield, Glendowan, Crusaders, and Albert Foundry FC.
These players were then brought together and mixed into two teams with 16 players then selected for the trip based not only on their footballing ability but their positive involvement in their community, opportunities to progress in both their personal and sporting lives.
Once the team was selected at the end of September, every Sunday since has seen training taking place alternately between Ballymurphy and Shankill in a safe and friendly environment and in the process building relationships and breaking down barriers between young people who only live a few minutes’ drive or walk from each but who never normally have had the chance to meet each other.
After flying into London on Friday and settling in their accommodation at the original home of the Eagles; Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, the lads played small-sided games against the Crystal Palace FC development centre players with the Belfast side coming out on top in both games winning 5-0 and 5-2.
The lads made such a great impression on the Palace coaches present that the details of them were taken with the view of an opportunity for a further trails in the near future and more happiness was to come for the Belfast squad as following the match, one player who was set to play for them but was called up to represent the Northern Ireland U16 side instead - Caoimhghin Mulligan - helped his side beat England U16s at the Goldsands Stadium in Bournemouth in the SkySports Victory Shield match.
Saturday saw the group receive a comprehensive training session from Palace coaches in their academy dome, and it was not just the players who learnt a lot as James Braniff, one of the Belfast coaches, received coaching himself, gaining a valuable insight into how a Premier League club works.
Upon arrival at Selhurst Park the group received a guided tour where they saw all parts of the ground including the boardroom and even the changing room where they met past present Palace players including Neil Alexander, Marouane Chamakh, Kenny Sansom and former Republic of Ireland winger Eddie McGoldrick.
A photo opportunity with the Palace Crystals cheerleaders and Kayla the Eagle soon followed before the lads settled into their seats to watch the exciting 0-0 draw, interspersed by a presentation on the pitch at half-time to an enthusiastic and warm welcome from the capacity crowd.
Before heading back the group went on a tourist trip around London to get some last minute presents to take home following their successful weekend.