It was, after all, local people, – railwaymen, shipbuilders, and ammunition workers – that made our football clubs. It was – for the most part – local players who would break into the starting XI. But as well as being made by the locals, football clubs were intended to be made for the locals. As of now, all professional football clubs in the land have an affiliated charitable organisation. Whilst football foundations emerged around the last three decades, altruism is something that football clubs have always exhibited from their very inception.
As alluded to earlier, many clubs (Man United, West Ham and Arsenal) were formed within workplaces. It allowed the workforce to improve upon their physical and mental wellbeing through regular exercise. But given how much football is referred to as a religion, it’s perhaps unsurprising that many other football clubs were founded by local churches. The likes of Everton, Man City and Southampton are just some examples. The founding clergymen of such clubs regarded sport as a useful distraction to guide boys and young men away from immoral vices. Moreover, they felt it could help them foster discipline, temperance, and moral strength.
These beliefs were core tenets of ‘muscular Christianity’, a religious movement that gained popularity during the mid-19th Century. It was that same school of thought which also led to the formation of the YMCA. Similarly, both Celtic and Hibernian were also founded by local clergymen. However, unlike their English counterparts, their motives were more notably aimed towards raising money for the poor. In addition, they served to help integrate the Irish diaspora of that time.
In modern times, football clubs, through their respective foundations, have still been able to maintain that same symbiotic relationship with their local community. Much of how football foundations operate isn’t so dissimilar to how football clubs operated in their earlier days. But since they’re self-funded and independent from their respective clubs, they offer a greater deal of professionalism. Nevertheless, it’s still through the power of football that these foundations seek to better the lives of its local community. Their strategies for doing so, despite being region specific, each bear some common threads.
For one, improving upon the health and wellbeing of local residents sits right at the fore. Naturally a goal this big, (as you’d rightly assume) would require a holistic approach. With that said, football foundations have programmes which encourage the participation of football in all ages and groups. Suffice to say, the overall wellbeing of someone, or a whole group of people, can be determined by multiple factors. Hence why, football foundations also set about improving local employment levels as well as its academic attainment. Moreover, football foundations seek to invest into numerous community projects and initiatives.
However, despite all its social benefits, football has conversely become out of touch. At times, the interests of the owners may be far removed from the interests of the local supporters, given the sheer levels of profit that come with the industry. In the end, the aim of football foundations is to both rekindle and reconnect the intrinsic link that football clubs have with their local community. They serve to remind us that football – aside from being dubbed ‘the beautiful game’ – is also ‘the working man’s game’.
To the casual observer, the phrase, ‘the power of football’ may appear to be meaningless. But once you consider all the good football has done and is still capable of; you then see it for what it is.