TEENAGE KICKS
Can you use the power of football to tackle antisocial behaviour? If you involve the police and other emergency services, could it change attitudes? And, given that the police are still not accepted by some, could it work here? A consultation on what could become an important local initiative is launched on the Paul McFadden Show.
Paul's discussion sparked a debate among listeners:
Caller rings: I am not a pessimist by any means. But I think there is an under-representation of the victims here. There could have been somebody on there who has been on the other end of the anti-social behaviour. I would like to have heard what the victims think of this idea. I am behind what is being done, but I would welcome the input from a victim.
James: I am from Gobnascale and we have an astro pitch here. During the summer the pitch is open till 12 at night to keep boys off street - it's called the Whistle Project. It's a similar project to Kickz.But the problem is with the people who don't like football, what do you do with them? Although it's a great idea, it doesn't involve everyone. In Belfast, they target the young "petrol heads" andthey allow youths to paint cars, therefore targeting a bigger group of the youth. In my experience, the youth either like sport or cars!
Billy: Iwant to know was the other senior club in the city given an opportunity to take part in this scheme? If so, why are they not represented this morning?
TEXT: .....What about girls who dont like football?. .. Its not just boys that cause trouble.
TEXT:Hi, Paul..I dont want to pour water on the parade, but we dont have any sports facilities here in Derry. Look at the Brandywell. In fact, ask Martin Mc Guinness about them. I have seen him standing there in the rain watching Derry City.
ALLY
Caller: Tell Martin McGuinness to see if he can do something about Derry City Football grounds. Look at the GAA next door - Celtic Park is great. But all Derry City Council is doing is talking about what they are going to in the Brandywell. Martin, can you use your influence to get something done?
Terry: "I was just thinking how can you expect people to support policing, when you still have Diplock courts and special powers. And I'm NOT a dissident republican"
Jim: what happens with the parents of disaffected youths? Does this mean that the parents can get away from the responsibilitieswhen children go wild?I think nine times out of ten nowadays we should put responsibility on the parents. Parents have let the community down. I'm a parent myself and you can't even get a bus from Culmore where I live - but MY boy is not one of the ones who's in trouble.
Bobby Concannon, a community worker in the Bogside:"the problems are dope, no facilities, and when it comes to needing money - people back away. The Police are not accepted by the people because they have dealt with the young in a very bad way. That doesn't change around in a short time. It's not going to happen overnight
Michael rings: How do they expect this scheme to work when Derry City FC won't even let the PSNI into the grounds?
TEXT:Pat talked about Derry City having a ''moral obligation'' to the community. That hits the nail on the head! Fantastic project for Dcfc, to get involved in. Deaglan
John, from the Waterside: this is an innovation we're hearing about in the programme , and it strikes a chord with me. They spent £400,000 on a park at the Top of the Hill here. This has been wasted. Young people are interested in bikes and cars, so you could have a Go-Karting track instead. I think it would bring people in in their hundreds. I have seen these working well in other places.
Michael: Tell Pat McDaid to answer the question that Paul asked him. Why is the PSNI not allowed into the Brandywell?
George Glenn: Paul, I welcome the new soccer programme.However, regarding the " cross community " aspect, why did'nt they go that extra mile and include Watersideyoung people and Institute FC.
Adrienne: I would like to congratulate Derry City football club for taking this on. They're really stepping outside the box. The forgotten children of yesterday are the vandals of today.
TEXT: Eureka! This is great, Paul. Best wishes to all involved. Tell the begrudgers to knock off. Teenage kicks so hard to beat.
Kathleen: The PSNI and YMCA run a 16-week course for young people with behavioural problems.It's called the "Wise Up" programme - and it's fantastic. Will the people running this scheme be trained in dealing with young people who have these problems, like ADHD? They're often not understood properly.
Caller from Eglinton: my son is a victim of a joyrider. His car was taken and burned out, while it was brand new. How can you talk about how much it costs the community, when it cost us as a family a fortune? Is there any way they can give me back the money for that car?
Derry caller: this initiative appeals only to those who are half-converted. It doesn't appeal to the rebellious. Young people are under peer pressure to join gangs. They want to feel they they belong to a group because many have no real home-life. Their own parents probably suffered the same way and the problem gets worse as each generation comes along.
Jim: I welcome Micheal Martin and Martin McGuinness onto the programme, after all it's Martin's home city. It's great to hear about a programme to get young people involved in sports, to get them to do something with their time. However I heard Martin McGuinness talking about partition and police. Since 1922,there were places set aside for nationalists to join the police, but the places were not taken up -contributing to the violence and trouble we have suffered. It's a pity so much violence had to happen, before we could start talking about projects like this one with the police.
Caller: I'm a representative of Derry Number 1 Celtic Supporters club andfor the last 20 years we have been taking young people out of the city to games in Scotland. So this in not a new thing.
Jim, from the Waterside: Does anybody in Radio Foyle really understand how one-sided today's event has been? Derry has been mentioned 1000 times - not once have I heard Londonderry! I haven't heard any Protestant speakers yet. I am speaking from the minority community and we feel alienated. I have had to leave the Brandywell due to sectarian problems.
TEXT:What 'other' facilities or pitches does Derry City think they can use? Junior football is already under allocated. Tel them to get real !
Caller: there are about 300 groups doing community work. All these groups are out to work with these “hoods” but the key question is - what parenting skills do these groups have? That is the source of all the problems -lack of good parenting.I feel this issueis not being addressed.
Caller:I hear Micheal Martin and Martin McGuinness are in town for a North-South Ministerial meeting.This is just a talking shop,where these politicians will be wined and dined while we slip into recession. It's a bit like that old Roman Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned.
SDLP EMAIL: I would appreciate it if you could mention that Foyle MP Mark Durkan has met with Eamonn Deane in relation to Teenage Kickz and is fully supportive of the project.
Brian: the DCFC website could have a voting option on it where teenagers can vote monthly for what they want. Teens aren't being heard clearly. This would mean their voices are heard, and we actually give them what they want.
Patrick, from Derry No 1 Celtic Supporter's club: tomorrow we are taking a busload of kids from St Peters to a match in Scotland. In the past 12 months we have done the same with children from Ballymacgroarty,Strathfoyle,Top of the Hill and the Brandywell. We have had no problems with these children. It sounds to me as if we have been doing this "Kickz" project already.
Caller: this initiative will have more credibility when we see a picture in the papers of the Police Superintendent shaking hands with Martin McGuinness outside the Brandywell.
Caller: Do you know this is the first time since your show started that I’ve heard you talk about the life blood of this city, the future of this city, the young people etc. You usually bang on about buildings in the Foyle, flats in Fort George, tourism etc. So, congratulate yourselves - because it's good to hear. Now you have learnt this, please don't go back to those other subjects. As for football, I'm no football man but I remember over on the Waterside there used to be matches played on the Clooney estate and teams from the Cityside would come over. There was never any trouble.
Charlie Mcmenamin: I want to congratulate DCFC for the initiative. There is a youth worker in Creggan called Steven Mallett who always pushes young people in the direction of sport, and has had great success in the area. It really helps their self-esteem and confidence.
Caller: I heard someone talk about football in Clooney. I used to be a resident there and there was a mixed team. My son used to play alongside lads from Lincoln Courts etc. It was great. Teams from the Cityside used to play as well. Maybe they can get something like that going again.
Caller: When I was growing up, if I showed disrespect to any of my neighbours or elders, I would have got a clip on the ear. This respect starts in the family. I raised my children to respect other people's property like their own, and if they didn't, they got a clip around the ear.
Caller rings: Noel Crampsey is right about the timing issue. One simple solution is to look at the youth clubs. Make use of resources that are ALWAYS there. Open these youth clubs later at night at the weekends.
Caller: re Tony's comments about bringing hooligans into the Brandywell - he should have thought of that before bringing Linfield into the Brandywell.
Councillor Thomas Conway: I am an ex-chair of the District Policing Partnership and I think this initiative is a great idea. I want to congratulate all involved.
Caller: ask your panel what they meant by saying that children today have nothing to do? They have computers, mobile phones, Play Stations etc. They have way more that we ever had so PLEASE explain what they mean by saying they have nothing.
See also:
Teenage Kickz..»
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