After 11 September 2001, changing people's attitudes to race and culture took on a new urgency and not just in seats of government. At Lancaster YMCA, staff noticed a marked increase in racist language aimed at Bengali boys by their White peers after the attacks on the World Trade Center. The charity's solution was to use football to stamp out the racism. It was a risky strategy, admits Phil McGrath, chief executive of Lancaster YMCA.
Common interest
In the past, competitive sport has been deemed elitist and demoralising - George Orwell described it as "war minus the shooting". But the Lancaster experience has shown the benefits that sport can play in bringing people together who consider themselves to have nothing in common. "We knew both groups were into football," recalls McGrath. "Rather than say it's Bengali lads against English lads, we mixed the teams up, which meant they had to communicate. There were risks involved, but we felt football was a great leveller."
The team, which is made up of 16- to 25-year-olds, has now run for three seasons. They reached the cup final in their first season, finished second in the league the next season and mid-table the year after. But more crucial were the human results. "There was a change in the language after the first week, and we started to notice players from the different communities waving across the street to one another," says McGrath.
He recalls how one player, a former active member of the British National Party, renounced his racist past.
If there was any doubt about the huge potential of football to excite young people, then the current Midnight League in Scotland is proof. Backed by Halifax Bank of Scotland, the scheme operates 14 leagues across the country on Friday nights - the time when police said teenage boys are most likely to get into trouble (YPN, 12-18 May, p5). The scheme is run in partnership with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the teenagers in the Falkirk league were able to get their hands on the Scottish Premier League trophy before Celtic picked up the trophy this season.
Barry Cook, SFA and Falkirk Council football development officer, says the Falkirk league attracts 110 young people between the ages of 14 and 17 every week. By taking place between nine and 11 at night, it helps to keep the young people away from temptations like alcohol or drugs.
Since the scheme began in March, there has only been one incident where the police needed to be called to the football centre and that was to deal with young people who were not part of the league. "The young people value the fact that something is being provided for them. Anecdotal evidence suggests that since it has been running, antisocial behaviour has fallen," says Cook.
Positive activity
For Sue Mitchell, co-ordinator of the Lincolnshire and Rutland Positive Activities for Young People scheme, it is important to "badge" the sporting activities to entice young people.
She organised football coaching on estates in Lincoln and believes a large part of its success stemmed from how the event was sold as "street football" with coaching from Lincoln City FC staff. The benefits for young people's health, attitude and behaviour have been hard to miss. "Most would have been sitting in their bedroom on their PlayStation if they didn't have the football," says Mitchell. "Some of them had severe problems, but the coaching helped their social and attendance skills."
Despite today's football-dominated culture, PAYP also puts on tennis coaching, swimming and canoeing. Other youth projects around the country are also using sports other than football to enhance their work. For example, Derby's Positive Futures scheme managed to capitalise on the post-World Cup rugby boom by running a touch-rugby course, which attracted 25 young people a session.
While sport at the highest level has been tarnished by sordid tabloid revelations, youth schemes are showing that it can play a valuable role in vulnerable young people's lives.
