More than 40 refugees and asylum seekers are meeting once a week in Middlesbrough to play football, learn English and make friends. The team was established by MFC Foundation and a local Methodist Asylum, project.
Paul South, from MFC Foundation says, "The guys really enjoy it...wearing the Boro kit gives them a sense of identity."
The club was started by John Yarro in 2013. John was walking though his local park and he noticed a group of refugees hanging about. John went over and asked them, "Would you be happy if I can bring a football and we can play?" they all said yes.
Now there teams for men and women with over 30 different nationalities. The team has progressed to the top division of Stockton Sunday league.
Sometimes the players face difficulty; at one match this season two players were sent off by the ref for not speaking English and sometimes opponents make racist comments. But John says, "It's not just about football but about challenging that sort of behaviour in society. We're proud of what we have achieved with all these challenges - hopefully one day we will produce a professional player."
What do you see in the picture?
Where was the photo taken?
What do you notice about the people in the photo - in what ways are they similar and different?
Explain the story
- What is a refugee?
- Why do some people travel to live in different places?
- Why do you think John Yarrow decided to start the football project?
- How can playing in a football team giver someone a "sense of identity"?
- Why do you think a refugee / asylum seeker might feel they have lost their sense of identity?
- There are 30 different nationalities in the teams; what does this show about the people in the teams and how they feel about difference and diversity?
- Why do you think the ref chose to send off players for not speaking English? Why do you think the players were not speaking English? In what other ways could the ref have responded to that situation?
- Why are some players in other teams making racist comments? How can that be stopped?
- What can we learn from John Yarrow?
- What can we learn from this football team?
- Why is this story about No Outsiders?
"No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools" by Andrew Moffat
"Reclaiming radical ideas in schools: Preparing young children for life in modern Britain" by Andrew Moffat
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