The MCFC Babies in Ghana

We've been quiet on this blog for a while now but there's been a good reason!

Many readers of MCFCfans, MCIVTA, and  other City forums will be aware of the Manchester City Babies in Ghana.  The club is a youth football club run by Peter Amoabil, who is also the Representative of the Ghana branch of the Manchester City Centenary Supporters Association (MCCSA). 

Alex Channon, Chairman of the MCCSA, launched a kit and funding appeal for the MCFC Babies in Ghana that many of you kindly donated to.  That appeal began an association for me with the MCFC Babies that was to become the inspiration for setting up a charity to support youth football teams in Africa and beyond.

Well, after months of preparation, over a hundred e-mails back and  forth to Ghana, gathering Manchester City kit and footballs from far and  wide, missing flights and buses, finally here I am writing to you from Tamale in Ghana.  What a huge relief to be here!

Peter met me at the airport this morning and it was an exciting moment.  It feels like the beginning of a great journey.  But it is one that I need help with and so I am starting the process of spreading awareness now.

The long-term vision of the charity project is to combine the desire of English Premier League clubs to raise their global profile with the genuine needs of less developed areas and communities. Supporting the creation and development of grassroots football is merely the vehicle through which we’ll try and address some of those needs.  Clubs tend to have quite good charitable links within their local catchment areas.   But many seem to be missing a way of helping communities further afield. 

The fundraising concept is to create an umbrella fund of individual sub-funds for each Premiership club. Clubs and fans donate into their own club pot and once the pot reaches certain levels so grants and sponsorship can be awarded to genuine youth football club projects.  The system would enable clubs and fans to follow the progress of the club they have sponsored, in much the same way as you can follow the MCFC Babies progress in Ghana on the web page we created for them on MCFCfans: www.mcfcfans.co.uk/mcfc_babies.

The medium-term aim might be to arrange an exclusive partnership with a Premiership club, and being biased Manchester City is obviously preferred.  The timing, credit crunch aside, couldn’t be better with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and City announcing their pre-season tour there.  The club is deluged with chairtable requests every week and such a charity would provide a means of centrally co-ordinating charitable efforts related to youth football outside the UK. But we need to make more progress in setting  up first.

I have been researching this project now for several months.  I have contacted many other organisations (The Craig Bellamy Foundation, Footballs4Fun, Streetfootball, FIFA’s Football for Hope)  with a view to collaboration and exchange of knowledge.  There is no point starting from scratch when partnering can deliver immediate results. 

The research continues and the short-term objective is to learn as much as possible and establish track record by supporting the development of the MCFC Babies in Ghana.  I will be sitting down with Peter, coaches and local football administrators tomorrow to work through our respective plans. The Babies will also  play a match in the morning wearing their newly donated Manchester City kits.

So what can you do to help? Continuing to donate kit is very much welcome and there is an address on the MCFC Babies page for this purpose. But what is really needed is the time, dedication and commitment of willing volunteers.  I’d be most grateful if anyone with charitable experience, administration, youth football experience, trustee experience, or just a general willingness to give up some time could get in touch.  

I will continue to post articles to various outlets but you can also follow progress at this Soccer Babies (provisional name...better suggestions welcome!) website, which is currently being developed: www.webjam.com/soccer_babies

In all of the trials and tribulations of supporting City, it’s easy to forget there are ways we can help those less fortunate than us through a mutual love of football.

Keep the faith.

Malcy

em:sm@mcfcfans.com

MCFCfans reports on the story of Carl Ramsbottom, and appeals to fans to donate generously to the bucket collections at tomorrow’s game against Middlesbrough

For most Manchester City fans, the away UEFA Cup match against FC Schalke at the end of November last year is a fond and distant memory.  But for one fan and his family, the trip was just the beginning of a traumatic and exhausting period that will continue for several months to come.

Carl Ramsbottom, who comes from Heywood just outside Rochdale, had been travelling back to his hotel after seeing City win 2-0 at the Veltrins Arena in Gelsenkirchen when a near fatal accident happened.  He had stopped to turn around and locate his friends and, with his back to a flight of stairs, he lost his footing in the crowd and fell.

A man with medical experience at the scene prior to the arrival of the emergency services immediately put Carl in the recovery position and ensured his airways were clear.  Keen to thank the unidentified man, Carl’s family made an appeal on KEY103 radio in Manchester.  Gareth Dickens, a City fan and male nurse at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, came forward.  Carl’s cousin Ian Ramsbottom, speaking to MCFCfans, said, “the family wanted to thank Gareth for his efforts as they may have saved Carl’s life.”

Doctors had to quickly release fluid in Carl’s brain by removing and deep-freezing a piece of his skull in an emergency operation.  They then put him into an induced coma in order to aid his recovery.  More than three weeks passed before the family had the relief of seeing Carl open his eyes for the first time following the accident.  Carl now faces another operation to re-insert the frozen skull bone, and a  long and uncertain road to recovery as his body learns basic functions all over again.    

The family have been overwhelmed by the support from supporters of Manchester City, FC Schalke and other clubs beyond.  Fans across the globe have been sending messages of support via message forums such as Bluemoon. 

The clubs themselves have also pitched in with support.  FC Schalke have been helping with hotels for the family in Germany and Manchester City are providing facilities for fundraising activities.  The club also sent a DVD with recorded messages of support from Mark Hughes and many of the City players last month.

The next major expense for the family is likely to be the need to transport Carl to hospital in the UK and this is likely to involve medical transportation by train or ambulance. Fans are rallying round with a series of fundraising events to help the family cover the huge costs involved.  Manchester City have granted rare permission for volunteers to do a bucket collection outside the City stadium prior to the match against Middlesboro tomorrow (Saturday 7^th February, KO 12.45pm).  Willing volunteers are still encouraged and are asked to meet outside the MCFC Superstore at 10.45am prior to the match.

MCFCfans has dedicated a page to the appeal that details some of the future fundraising events.  We’ll also soon have a PayPal donation button that fans around the world can use to send funds to the appeal.  Carl’s family are sincerely thankful for your support, which has been vital during this very difficult time.  We wish Carl all the very best for his recovery. 

MCFCfans

The BBC understands that Robinho has been questioned in connection with an alleged sexual assault in a Leeds nightclub and is understood to have been released on bail.

This is all Manchester City needs right now. Just as we were getting back to the football. Hopefully somoene trying to make a fast buck and nothing with substance. Who knows if this is related to his sudden departure to Brazil.

Times article

The Sun

The Mirror

Sky News

MCFCfans