It's a chilly Wednesday evening in the centre of Southampton and a group of lads are having a kick about in one of the city's many parks. Nothing unusual there. But there is a difference. This group of footballers are a multi-national match for any team in the Premiership - with players from across Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. And it's more than just a kick-about - for many of the players Wednesday night training is a point of contact - a place to meet, talk and make friends. | "It's a good way to meet new people and make friends and to get to know other nationalities and find out what life is like for other people. " | | Al Abrahim |
The Clear Football team has evolved from the Clear Project - a local agency set up by the City Life Church to provide support for asylum seekers living in the Southampton area. "We help people in very practical ways with the advice centre", said Martin De La Hay, the project manager at Clear. "But the social aspect of life is almost like a luxury. You may have a roof over your head and enough money to get by, but how do you get to meet people? That's where the football team comes in. "One of the things that is really important about the football in terms of Southampton is the way it helps people from different nationalities get to know each other.
"There can be tensions between different communities who are living in the inner city area. Our team is multi-cultural and we've got players from five or six countries regularly playing together. "There's a lot of negative publicity about asylum seekers and a lot of it doesn't treat people as people. The vast majority of people that we see are just like you and I and they've fled persecution and are trying to make a new life."
 | | Clear Football (© Richard Joyce) |
The football team regularly compete in tournaments and are gradually building a side that will one day represent Clear in the local eleven-a-side leagues. Denzil Emerson is the coach and manager of the side and recognises that it's not just about the football. "You've got grass, you've got fresh air, you've got a bit of exercise and a bit of competition and you've got a good laugh and people who will be here on a regular basis", he said. "We just have a good laugh and nobody gets really hurt and at the end of the day you look at it and think yeah that was fun - it's difficult to get them to go home at night sometimes." Alan Rahim from Kurdistan has been living in the UK for about four years and is one of the team's more established players. "I was always keen on playing football", he said. "It's a good way to meet new people and make friends and to get to know other nationalities and find out what life is like for other people. "Some people who come from other countries find it difficult to set up a network [of friends]. But with football you can meet people from all different backgrounds and you can make good friends and have an understanding of different languages and cultures." said Alan. | 
