Soccer kicks off plans to bring together communities

Oct 14 2008 by Andrew Hirst, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A FOOTBALL tournament has been set up to bring different faiths together – and the star attraction will be the FA Cup.

Under-14 teams from across West Yorkshire are taking part in the seven-a-side football competition at the St John Fisher Catholic High School on Oxford Road in Dewsbury.

The event – aimed at bringing communities closer together – will kick off at 12.30pm on Saturday.

There will also be a match between the police and a mixed Islamic and Christian clerics team.

The Football Association has agreed to bring the FA Cup to the event and the players will have the chance to have their photos taken with it.

Pc Shafeek Yunis, of the Dewsbury and Mirfield Neighbourhood Policing Team, is one of the organisers.

He said: “This will be a great opportunity for young people to play alongside members of their own community.

“It’s not always possible for members of different faiths to come together in this way.

“Even people of the same faith are often located in different pockets of the community.

“Hopefully this event will wipe out those barriers and enable people to bond.

“By learning more about each other’s faith we can develop a better understanding within our neighbourhoods.’’