With support from the Irish FA, the two teams came together as they continue preparations for their own upcoming fixtures.
The Official NI Fans team is made up of avid supporters, who have been coming together on a regular basis to engage and embrace the global football family as the NI international team journey through the EURO 2016 Qualifying Campaign.
The team recently welcomed the Finland fans to Northern Ireland, setting up a friendly match and BBQ ahead of the international fixture. The group have also planned to take on the ‘Motley Crewe’, the fans team of Crewe Alexandra as NI take on Qatar in a friendly, and a Romanian fan contingency ahead of the essential qualifying match in June.
More recently, a focus closer to home has captured the team’s attention, with members of the team requiring the support of Macmillan Cancer Support. The team will be fundraising at their upcoming fixtures, and hope to raise money to support the essential work of this organisation.
The Street Soccer NI project (formerly Street League), supports marginalised males in society, engaging with those experiencing homelessness, long term unemployment, addiction and mental health issues.
Since 2013, the project has entered a team into the Homeless World Cup tournament, last year winning the Accion Total Cup in Chile.
This year, the tournament is in Amsterdam, and the team are enjoying their preparations, including friendly matches like this one. Preparation is also required off the pitch, with mental resilience workshops, cultural awareness workshops, and team building.
Claire Adams, Outreach Project Officer for the Irish FA said, “The Irish FA are delighted to support these two groups, making a real difference within the football fraternity of Northern Ireland. This match is a perfect example of how the NI Fans Team and Street Soccer NI, continue to create a fun, safe and inclusive culture in the game, through engaging with different communities.”
If you would like to find out more about these projects, or would like to get involved, please contact Claire Adams by telephoning 028 9068 4712 or emailing cadams@irishfa.com