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160 young people from Bridlington, Beverley, Goole, Hull and Withernsea will compete in a Tribune Trust Football Tournament at the KC Stadium between 6.00-9.00pm on Thursday 27 April 2006.
Preliminary games have been played within the various communities supported by the Grass Roots Sports Project, Sport Not Drugs Programme and Futures Through Football project all in Hull, together with the Positive Futures initiative in the East Riding in Beverley, Bridlington, Goole and Withernsea.
The tournament was the ‘brain child’ of Carol Rymer who has just stepped down as High Sheriff of the East Riding. She wanted to involve more children in sport and as the Tribune Trust has supported over 31 sports programme over the last two years, it seemed sensible for the Trust to get involved.
The Trust aims to improve the quality of life and create a positive image for difficult areas so that both the residential and business communities can thrive. By promoting sport as a healthy alternative to drugs and crime and, by providing access to facilities, crime in an area can be significantly reduced.
Players in the football tournament come from estates and areas of the East Riding and Hull where there are limited opportunities for sport. There are often high levels of crime, drug and alcohol misuse and reluctance by the business community to invest and create employment.
Whilst there are good floodlit and Astroturf facilities throughout the region these are rarely made available to youngsters whose families are in the low-income bracket or indeed to young people who have started to drift into crime and drugs.
The successful Grass Roots Sports Programme in Hull is now well established and young people who have accessed it regularly are now trained coaches with a number having referee qualifications. Several of these will be officiating in the tournament.
16 teams of 7 players (3 subs) will play for ten minutes throughout the evening with a rapid and structured turnaround between games. Football Association Rules will apply and every player will receive a Tribune Trust Tournament medal for competing with awards for ‘fair play’ runners up and the winning team. The trustees who are current, former or future High Sheriffs of the East Riding of Yorkshire will present the trophies.
Over 250 people including players, officials and supporters will be present including police officers, firemen, youth offender teams and drug workers with the aim of having a better network system than local dealers. These organisations have assisted with the programme and helped teach other life skills within the communities.
Hull City AFC’s mascot, Roary the Tiger, will also be on hand throughout the evening to meet with spectators and participants, and to cheer on and give encouragement to the youngsters.
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