SPORT, especially football, is held up as a platform for advancing social change throughout the world and when it works the results can be startling. This is never achieved without considerable finance and it should not be expected that sport itself takes on the mantle for tackling things like health , mental health, social justice, sexism and racism.
Working collectively from all areas is the way forward as there is no one issue that stands alone and can’t be solved using a collective response and some long-term investment. The success of the Iranian women who were recently allowed access to football following an intervention from Fifa, clearly shows the level of power sport can yielded.
Whilst we are heading in the right direction in Scotland, I also know that we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that the influence is extended even further to help those who in need. And that those statutory organisations who are charged to deliver change in their own area see some clear light and together help finance the various innovative schemes that are currently being promoted throughout many of our national governing bodies of sport.
In other countries, the news is not just as positive and there is still a way to go. The recent disgraceful scenes at the game between Bulgaria and England highlight this and strong action must be take. However, this needs to be hand in hand with some basic education on respect, diversity and inclusion; this again is a collective responsibility.
It’s not all doom and gloom in football, though, as Glasgow City have made history once again by winning the first leg of their European tie against Brondby, which sets them up for a top-eight place for only the second time in their history.
Whilst they won’t command the same amount of support that England Women’s National team have for their next game against Germany at Wembley, which is a 90,000 sell-out, they will welcome all fans to come to the home tie to support them on October 31 at Petershill Park, Glasgow with a 7.30 kick-off. Tickets are available from the Glasgow City website – glasgowcityfc.co.uk.
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