THE ROAD TO MILAN HOMELESS WORLD CUP 2009 STARTS in Glasgow ON SUNDAY
Posted by David Duke - 22/06/2009
--- Dozens of teams from across Scotland will take part in the Street Soccer National Cup which will double as the Homeless World Cup trials --- --- Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith will present the trophy to the winning team at the Glasgow Healthy Living Centre ---
Date and time: Sunday, June 28, 12-4pm Meeting point: Glasgow Healthy Living Centre, 183 Crownpoint Rd Glasgow, G40 2AL Media opportunity: Interviews available with David Duke, head coach of Scotland Homeless World Cup Team and Gordon Smith, chief executive of Scottish Football Association. Photo opportunity: Dozens of teams taking part in the Street Soccer National Cup To attend launch: Please contact David Duke on 07533 562485 or david@streetsoccerscotland.org The road to the 2009 Homeless World Cup in Milan this September begins in Glasgow on Sunday (June 28) when 32 teams will compete for the inaugural Street Soccer National Cup.
Teams from across Scotland will take part in the Street Soccer Festival at the Glasgow Healthy Living Centre with Scotland Homeless World Cup Team head coach David Duke using the opportunity to sign up players for his squad for Milan.
Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith will be on hand to present the winning team with the Street Soccer National Cup trophy.
Milan will be the seventh host city of the Homeless World Cup when the tournament is staged from September 6-13. Forty eight nations will compete, representing all five Continents of the globe, from Argentina to Brazil, Scotland to Germany, Australia to Cambodia, Hong Kong to India and Ghana to Malawi.
The Street Soccer Festival has been organised by social enterprise Street Soccer Scotland.
David Duke, CEO of Street Soccer Scotland and the coach of Scotland’s Homeless World Cup-winning team in 2007, said: “The Street Soccer Festival is a great opportunity for players from across the country to showcase their talents and book themselves a place in the Scotland squad for the Homeless World Cup in Milan this September.
“I’ve been lucky enough to represent my country at four Homeless World Cups as well as coach the team to glory in Copenhagen in 2007. Of course it is a great honour to be only Scottish coach to have won the Homeless World Cup.
“Taking part in the Homeless World Cup has opened many doors for me. If I had not gone to the trials for the 2003 tournament I firmly believe would never have been given the opportunity to start up Street Soccer Scotland.
“Sunday’s inaugural Street Soccer National Cup represents the opportunity for dozens of young homeless Scottish people to change the course of their lives forever.”
Street Soccer Scotland is a social enterprise which aims to use sport to tackle social exclusion and improve the lives of socially disadvantaged groups.
The goal of Street Soccer Scotland is to enhance the life of each of the individual participants in the programme while benefiting the wider community.
Sport, and in particular street soccer, has the power to dramatically change people’s lives for the better. By involving participants in regular grass root football activity, coaching and mentoring, Street Soccer Scotland aims to provide a fundamental source of purpose, motivation and pride for participants and produce a positive impact in the community. To find out more visit www.streetsoccerscotland.org and www.homelessworldcup.org
Ends For further information please contact:
David Duke on 07533 562485 or david@streetsoccerscotland.org
