TheFA.com – Homeless tournament a hit — I get a kick out of this story.
The first-ever Homeless Home Nations and Ireland Football Tournament took place at Manchester United’s The Cliff training grounds, with Wales proving the overall winners.
United stars Alan Smith and Wes Brown opened the event, which saw players who represented England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales at the Homeless World Cup in Sweden recently, taking part.
After watching the initial matches, Wes was full of praise for the event. “It was great to see the enthusiasm, dedication and team spirit amongst the players. There was a friendly rivalry amongst the teams but football has a way of bringing people from different backgrounds together,” he said.
May I ask one simple question? With two homeless teams, which team is the “home” team??
via E. Campbell
The home team is not that which domesticates its rival.
Roy, Manchester UK
I was prompted to reflect a bit on a couple of questions common to athletes who pin their hopes on popular sport. I watched an interview from this venue with Wes Brown. A common question asked by unoriginal interviewers is “What would you be doing if you weren’t playing for such-and-such a team?”
Wes Brown’s answer was, “I’d probably be homeless like these guys.”
He pretty much ignored learning anything in school and spent every waking moment playing football [soccer]. He was lucky and skilled enough to become a pro and probably has earned enough at his young age to not work the rest of his life if he stopped, tomorrow. If he hasn’t pissed it all away.
But, then, that’s true of so many athletes — like US-style collegians who carry a major in something as droll as “sports communications”. A current favorite.
The poor kids of so many lands, especially minorities like Brown, pin their hopes on making it big — when only the smallest fraction ever get through to a pro career.