19th November 2005

What a feast..

The greatest benefit I have from covering minor-grade football is to be able to meet and make friends with thousands of people from all over Scotland.

Earlier this year, I attended the Sikh Football Club in Leith and it was there I met and made friends with even more adults and kids involved in playing what I think is the greatest team game in the world. It was a very productive night for me and their special guest, Sir Tom Farmer. Following that, I attended an initiative named "Show Racism the Red Card" at Pilrig Park and, subsequently, a picture of all who took part in the event organised by Redpath Albion Community Club appeared in Local Heroes with some of the kids featured in the picture from Sikh Football Club.

As my involvement with supporting this important work within communities increases, I was a guest of the Sikh Community in Edinburgh at a wonderful night in their Temple in Leith to celebrate the birth of Sikhism and it was another totally enjoyable experience.

Sir Tom Farmer, high ranking police officers and many others representing churches and political parties were there, too, to show our support for this wonderful group of people.

The visit gave me another chance to proclaim this message, again, to everyone involved in minor-grade football - Show Racism the Red Card! On this occasion, surely we are all "reading from the same hymn book."

Source: The Evening News