Always playing away from home

A street soccer league offers homeless youths a chance to enter a world cup competition - and the key to a better future. Jennifer May watches the selection of the lucky squad which will play in Sweden

It's a Saturday morning and St Laurence O'Toole's Recreation Centre in Dublin's inner city is full of young hopefuls awaiting selection for Ireland's World Cup soccer squad. Young men in shorts and football boots with various stages of wear-and-tear have a kick-around in the centre, as coach Mick Pender prepares to make the final call. The excitement in the air is palpable. The lads wish each other luck and there are pats on the back and other shows of affection all around.

The coach begins to call out the names of the chosen 20. Eight will join the squad for the World Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden, in July; another 12 will play in a Home Nations' tournament in England later in the year. Cheers fill the hall. There is jubilation and disappointment, but the feeling of camaraderie prevails. There is no bitterness or team rivalry.

This is the final selection for the Homeless World Cup - a worldwide soccer street league for homeless youngsters. It is a pilot project aiming to use the positive power of soccer to raise the profile of homeless issues and poverty worldwide.

The final eight will join players from 31 other countries expected to participate in the five-a-side tournament in Gothenburg between July 23rd and August 2nd. Ireland's Issues, a magazine sold by homeless people in Dublin, has been a staunch supporter of the league for homeless youngsters.

"This is much more than football," says Sean Kavanagh of Ireland's Issues. "The goals are widespread. We want to give a sense of participation and inclusiveness to these lads, give them back their self-esteem."

And it seems to be working. Over the last year, the boys have dedicated themselves to training, giving 100 per cent and overcome many obstacles that stood in their way.

Dermot Haverty (21), a handsome, soft-spoken youth, has just been selected for the squad. Dermot has football in his blood, being a nephew of footballer Joe Haverty who won 32 caps for Ireland in the 1960s. He has been homeless for seven years, and has suffered many hardships during this time. He has seen friends succumb to drugs, violence and death, but somehow managed to avoid these pitfalls and trained at every available opportunity.

"Being involved with street soccer has been brilliant," he says. "I'm staying in a hostel at the moment, and playing football gives me something to do. Me and the lads practise all the time - if training is cancelled we're really disappointed, but we get together in Mountjoy Square anyway, for a kick around."

It is not only the homeless boys who exude such enthusiasm. Mick Pender, team coach, is genuinely inspired by the level of commitment. "We coach the boys twice weekly all year round and recently arranged a countrywide tournament in Tallaght with over 120 homeless lads participating. It was a tremendous success, with the assistant manager to Ireland's national soccer team, Noel O'Reilly, presenting trophies."

There is a strict code of conduct for players, and Mick says that while these young men have many issues to deal with, they do not bring them to training. "They only want to play football." Defender Craig Douglas (28), who travels from Galway twice a week to train, says being part of the league gave him new confidence and helped him sort his life out. He has found a home and is living with a partner. "Mick is a great coach. He has never let us down. We're not going over for a laugh, we're going to win."

Gareth Henvey (21) who plays midfield, has been involved in the team for a year. He started sleeping rough after rows with his parents and now stays in a hostel in Dublin. "Playing with the league has been brilliant. It has made me much more disciplined." He now works as a security guard to pay for the trip. "A lot of us got jobs, thanks to the league giving us the confidence and self-belief."

Clive Martin (25), the team's social coach, says: "It has given the kids great enthusiasm and given them great opportunities to make something of their lives, coming from the backgrounds they have."

Last year the World Cup was held in Gratz, Austria, and for the players it was an unforgettable experience. "When the team came out and the national anthem was played, there was a lump in everyone's throat," Michael Harmon of Ireland's Issues recalls.

"It was only then that the boys realised that they were really representing their country. They were over the moon."

Goalie Patrick Murphy (21) who has been involved for two years, was also in Austria. He says it wasn't a very strong team and they didn't realise how high the standard was going to be. "This year we have a much stronger team, we concentrated more on ball work and we're definitely in with a chance."

But it was on their return to Dublin last year that Harmon says the significance of what they were doing really hit home.

"We arrived back in Dublin airport, exhausted, and the coaches and I were heading home to our beds. But the lads had nowhere to go and had to present at a Garda station to ask for a bed for the night. They were put up in the cells."

This made Harmon, Kavanagh and others like them resolve to carry on with the league as a way of raising awareness about homeless issues. But despite a well-mounted campaign, the vast majority of the Irish public is unaware of the cause. Sponsorship has been difficult to get. Harmon says he is well used to fundraising but cannot understand the reticence that surrounds this project.

"Most of the companies we have approached think what we are doing is brilliant, but don't want to involve themselves on any level." Much of the funding has been raised through benefit nights and other organised events.

Despite the lack of funding, the hard work of all involved has paid dividends. Many of the boys have found part-time jobs and some are now attending college. They credit the league with giving them the boost they needed to get back into mainstream life.

The ethos of the whole project, "giving people a hand up rather than a hand out", is working, and the homeless boys are a focused, gutsy and inspiring bunch.

Dermot Haverty sums it up for all of them: "We can't believe it! We never thought we could represent our country in anything. To wear that green jersey is a dream come true. We're so proud!"