BILLY BREMNER MEMORIAL JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN
Date: 13th September 2024
If you think far back, can you remember what originally made you fall in love with football? When I consistently see my team underperforming, referees and governing bodies making stupid decisions, and the prices of everything related to the sport skyrocketing, I often ask myself that question and struggle to find an answer. However, after spending two weeks in Brazil, the spiritual home of football, I believe I have been reminded of what I love so much about this sport.
For the past two weeks, I have volunteered at a football camp for children in Gamboa, a favela in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. A favela is a type of slum or shantytown that is not controlled by the government and is usually run by drug dealers and gangsters. The everyday reality for the people living in these favelas is very bleak. They are usually extremely poor, making around 50 Brazilian Real (circa 8 pounds) daily. Furthermore, they are also consistently exposed to and influenced by crime, with the gangs running the favelas luring children as young as below the age of 10 into the crime world.
Our task as volunteers was simple but extremely important. We focused on creating a safe and healthy environment for children aged 8-11 from the Gamboa favela that could serve as an escape from their bleak everyday reality. With the help of the amazing people at IVHQ and the coaches at Villa Olimpica Gamboa, we were tasked with designing and organising football drills for the children and playing matches alongside them.
When I first stepped foot on the pitch overlooking the favela, I was reminded of how football is such a powerful force for good that transcends language, culture and circumstances. My fellow volunteers and I are from vastly different and far more fortunate backgrounds than these children. Additionally, none of us knew any Portuguese, and the children didn’t know a word of English. However, despite this, we connected instantly through the shared joy and sense of escape kicking a ball around.
In terms of how football should be played, however, the children taught me way more than I did them. Many of you may be aware of the flamboyant Samba style of football that the Brazilians are famous for. This style was on full display by the kids, with them utilising quick passing dribbling and skills in the game. One of the kids even told me off when I booted the ball up to the striker from a goal kick, being told, ‘No futebol Inglaterra’ (no English football).
Before coming to Brazil, I was aware of this style but did not understand it properly. However, after spending enough time with these children, I realised that this style reflects their joyous attitude towards the game. I understood how in Brazil, although football is like religion for them, it is still just a game which, at its heart, is about having fun and escaping the struggles of everyday life. The tricks, skills and overall samba style are just ways for them to express themselves and enjoy the game.
As I sat on the 12-hour flight home from Rio, I reflected on my amazing and eye-opening experience in Gamboa and noticed how it had made me truly fall back in love with this sport. Despite the everyday realities of these children being far tougher and less privileged than anything I could ever imagine, their constant positive attitudes towards football and life were a massive breath of fresh air. They reminded me how all the constant negativity in football that fans like us on the SFSA focus on and try to combat has, in a way, clouded what we value with this sport. That is why I urge you, next time you read an article from us regarding anything negative in football, whether it’s about VAR or ticket prices, to take a step back and try to remember what you value in football and why you fell in love with it in the first place.
Erik Nordstrom, SFSA Social Media Team
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