Football helping to unite inner-city youth

By Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter

ERROL BLAKE, captain of Teacher's United, one of 32 teams which competed in yesterday's Prince's Cup finals at Sabina Park, is adamant the three-month long five-a-side football tournament will lead to improved relations among inner-city folks throughout Kingston and St. Andrew - particularly the volatile west end.

"I don't live in Trench Town but I spend a lot of time there," said Blake, during lunch break from the scrimmage on Sabina Park's outfield, usually reserved for men in flannels chasing cricket balls instead of eager youths cheering on skilful participants in a 'keeping-up' contest.

Blake has been teaching for the past eight years at Trench Town Comprehensive High, bordered, as he put it, by four communities - Rose Town, 'Jungle', Rema and 'Zimbabwe'.

"There are other frictions in the area too," he pointed out. "There are 'top' parts and 'bottom' parts."

Explaining the 'top part' and 'bottom part' syndrome of explosive inner-city communities, regardless of political affiliation, Blake referred to a match which he and his teammates, a bunch of teachers from Trench Town Comprehensive, had lined-up to play against a 'neighbouring' team earlier that morning.

"We bridged a gap," he said. "We didn't know them personally but now we do and even communicated after the match."

Such camaraderie was exactly what organisers, the British High Commission, Kingston Restoration Company Limited (KRC), hoped to have started with the city-wide 'corner league', in partnership with other local and overseas corporate sponsors.

"Most of these people are grassroot...they play on the streets," said Blake, responding to suggestions that inner-city folks have been gathering to play or watch national and regional football competitions for years but still bear arms against each other as soon as they cross their respective 'borders'.

"These people don't play in any major competitions and it's so many different personalties coming together," he explained. "I saw some guys who never walked on other streets for more than 10 years come on a common ground.

"They are being exposed to more friendship and most of them are friendly. It's when they see violence every day of their lives that they don't get a chance to blossom."

Approximately 3072 players from 384 teams started the quest for the Prince's Cup, presented by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, $50,000 and a trip to England, courtesy of British Airways, to watch the Britons play Netherlands in a friendly August 15 at White Hart Lane - Tottenham Hotspurs home ground.

Tournament organisers estimated an impact on 711,000 people. Teams such as DT Milan (Denham Town), Central Warriors (Southside), Joy Town (Arnett Gardens), Great West (Waterhouse) and Arsenal (Jones Town) lined-up alongside other inner-city sides.

Its aim was to strengthen peace, decrease inter and intra community violence, increase the mobility of residents and build the capacity of local groups to work together and develop their communities.

Held under the patronage of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, the British High Commission played an integral role in the tournament's success.

Graham Glover, head of development at the British High Commission, said the initiative started after the prince had a "memorable" visit to west Kingston last year.

"He really enjoyed that part of the visit," said Glover. "When he left he said to us: 'What kind of things can I get involved in which might help to build some sort of momentum between communities or to equip some organisations to better serve their communities?'"

A number of projects were identified such as computers before the football idea was brought to light.

"People said: 'We had football tournaments within communities for years, as a way of getting the community together'" Glover explained. "'Why not have something which spans the inner-city.'"

"Everybody is playing for one trophy, rather like the FA Cup in England," the British diplomat added. "We went to the KRC and the Prince supported it. We were able to get a lot of sponsors on board and they didn't need much convincing."

Glover, however, said the problems affecting western Kingston were "deep-seated" and "no one event" or collection of small events are actually going to solve that problem but was still hopeful.

"The more you can do to bring people together from different areas to meet each other in neutral space, I don't think it can do any harm," he said. "We're not just bringing people together to play football, there's been a serious message throughout the previous rounds. The KRC has been using the event to get to people, telling them what's happening in these communities."

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