Following are the case studies of St Basils 4 members of Homeless World Cup Team 2008
Romain Coleman
Romain is 23 and from Birmingham. He left home over a year ago because of some family problems and is now staying at St Basils in the city. He says his mum is really proud that he has got into the England team and that it is a “gift from the Big Man” that he has been selected. “It’s been good to meet different people during the trials,” he says, “and I’ve learnt a lot about my personal skills since taking part in this project.” Romain would love to be a professional footballer but is also interested in mentoring and support work in the future. He supports Aston Villa. His cousin, Tyronne, is also part of the team.
Tyrone Coleman
Tyrone is 23 and is also staying at St Basils in Birmingham where his cousin, Romain, also lives. He decided to leave home when he was 19 to gain some independence. Tyrone loves being part of the team and knows that this is a “once in a lifetime” experience. He has made some good friends during the last six months having met a number of people from a similar background as himself. “No one thinks anything bad of anybody here,” he says. “Many of us have had the same difficulties at home.” Tyrone would like to take his footballing as far as he can and would love to get to a semi-professional level. He is also interested in doing some support work and is set to do a teaching course soon and learn sign language.It’s an added bonus for him that his cousin is in the team alongside him. “There are a lot of young people off the rails and they look bad,” says Tyrone about the England team. “It’s nice to know that somebody out there is doing good and we can all make a change.”
Abdi Gaal
Abdi, who is 20, is now living at St Basils in Birmingham. Abdi was originally from Somalia but lived in Holland as a child. Then, when he was 15, he and his family were removed from the county, despite the fact that Abdi’s father is from Holland, and sent back to Somalia. Four years ago, Abdi came over to the UK. He stayed in London for a couple of years with his grandma and then moved to Birmingham when it felt a bit overcrowded at home. In Holland, Abdi was playing football for an under 12s and then an under 14s team and he was really disappointed when he had to leave the country. He thought that his opportunity to play football was over. “After being sent to Somalia, there was a moment when I didn’t want to play football anymore,” he says. “I never imagined I would one day be representing England. My support worker at St Basils encouraged me to take part in the trials and I’m glad I did. It’s made me see that anything is possible. The moment you think you’ve dropped down is the moment you’ve got to pick yourself up and go on.” Abdi has got a lot of plans for the future, including completing a Construction Skills Certificate, playing football and being involved in some youth work to help other young people who are homeless.
Ryan Nash
Ryan is the fourth of this year’s players who is from St Basils in Birmingham – the first time so many England players have come from one place. Ryan is 20 and became homeless when he was 18 after family problems. He stayed with friends for a while and then moved into Wolverhampton Foyer before going to St Basils. He says it’s brilliant to have made it to the England team.
