At an Aberdeen sports complex a small group of guys are quietly passing a football between them.
It is a small turnout for a session that usually welcomes between 20 to 30 people each week, but I have a feeling my presence with a notepad might have scared a few players off.
It is understandable, and it is not the first time the media has had an impact.
When politicians were talking about sending refugees to Rwanda, or when the far-right riots kicked off in many parts of the UK last year, the numbers at these weekly football sessions aimed at refugees in Aberdeen dropped.
The project called Football For All was set up over a year ago by Sport Aberdeen with Kyle Munro, a project activator leading the sessions.
Since then, the relaxed two-hour weekly sessions on a Wednesday have welcomed more than 100 players of 10 different nationalities and have gained national recognition.
Some players have even gone on to play for local amateur teams.
But with no translator at the sessions, a shortage of football boots and changing politics, it has not always been easy.
Football For All Aberdeen
Thankfully Kyle, said they let football do the speaking for them – most of the time.
“There was a bit of adapting to be done in the way that football is played in Scotland,” he added speaking beside a pitch at 5ives Football on Nelson Street.
“We see it within the session that what’s interpreted as a foul in different cultures is very different, which at times causes conflict.
“But usually everyone laughs it off and carries on.”
The founder of local charity Asylum and Refugee Care (AARC), Jayne Smith, reached out to Sport Aberdeen for support to get New Scots involved in sport and physical activity.
When Sport Aberdeen staff attended a Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC) meeting with New Scots to see what sports people were interested in, they received hundreds of emails about football.
The project was then launched at 5ives Football on Nelson Street after staff offered a generous discount on pitch hire.
Six weeks into the trial, more than 30 men were turning up every week to play.
A dip in numbers can be a positive thing
As I chatted with Kyle, we paused to watch the action on the pitch where P&J health and wellbeing journalist Andy Morton, who I asked along for his superior footballing skills, was getting stuck in.
Commenting on the quieter session, Kyle, 24, said numbers dip for various reasons.
Sometimes the events in national media can cause some of the guys not to come along out of fear of what could happen. Some may have college or jobs or sometimes they join amateur local teams instead.
He said: “A lot of the guys that were coming originally, we’ve managed to get them in touch with local clubs and they’re playing in the amateur leagues.
“This means the numbers drop but it’s a positive for us because they’re embedded into the community.”
Kyle said one example of this was a player who they helped get in touch with an amateur team in Aberdeen.
In his first game for the amateur club, the player scored and also got man of the match.
“He used to play international football in Iran at under 21 level, and then when he came here, he didn’t think he would be able to play football.
“We had just been able to give him the opportunity again to play. And he’s now playing every week.”
This one player’s story has encouraged many other guys who attend Football For All to follow his example and a few have gone on to join local clubs.
‘It’s good to see the players with a smile on their faces’
While some of the New Scots who attend have been moved into flats and granted leave to remain, many are still living in hotels.
This can cause many people to feel quite isolated but the sessions and organised matches have had a positive impact.
“We’ve seen massive benefits,” said Kyle.
“In the hotels, there can be quite a low atmosphere. A lot of people are just in their rooms and not really getting to do much.
“But sometimes when the social workers and charities come and watch here, they say ‘I’ve never seen them smile before’ and stuff like that.
“With a lot of the guys’ journeys and when they got here, they never thought they’d play football again.
“The main benefits are just seeing them have a smile on their face, the mental health benefits from being out in the fresh air and exercising.
“There’s a lot on their mind when they’re in the hotels, there’s documents to be filled out and everything’s very formal, whereas coming here, it’s very informal.
“We like to let the session be open rather than us dictate what we’re going to do because a lot of their life is people telling them what’s happening and telling them what to do.
“And most of the time it’s just get two teams together and play a bit of football.”
Staff try to create an atmosphere where people feel safe
Alongside Kyle stands the general manager at 5ives, Scott Mackenzie and Rishabh Adhangale, a fellow project activator with Sport Aberdeen.
Although Rishabh, aged 29, said he joined later in the project, he said it is easy to see the benefits the sport is having.
He said: “It makes a huge impact for them coming every week.
“It’s a place where they can be not judged and can express themselves.
Rishabh, who moved from Mumbai, added: “I also think it helps them overcome their fear.
“I constantly speak to a lot of Indian friends who are in different parts of England and when the riots or the protests were happening down south and it was bad, we were still doing the sessions.
“I think they enjoy that Aberdeen is a much safer space to get out and play.
“There are people like ourselves and other charities who work with them and support them through the difficult political period which they are going through which we might never understand coming from a democratically safe country, but they go through that every day.
“So I think it helps them. I like to think it makes a difference.”
National awards, future hopes and kit donations
While the Community Sport Team host other activities like badminton, fitness classes and cricket, their Football For All programme is drawing national attention.
The project received two nominations for national awards including ukactive Awards finalist 2024.
Up against community sports teams who have been running sessions for 20 years, Rishabh said the team definitely felt a lot of pride.
But between sponsorship for the project and funding for their Kit For All scheme – providing sports kits and shoes for players – he added their real goal is ensuring the project’s future.
Rishabh said: “I also came out of that event knowing there is a lot of work to be done.
“It’s more important to not just start a project but sustain it for years and years to have that impact. That is a challenge.”
To find out more about Football For All click here.
For anyone looking to donate football boots or kit to the Kit For All scheme, visit Sport Aberdeen for a list of collection points across the city.
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