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CAFE in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

27 April 2010

Report of UK & Eire Development Officer:

14th April 2010 saw our first face to face meeting with the FAI in their headquarters which is situated at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin.

We met Oisin Jordan whose role is FAI Football For All National Coordinator and FAI Intercultural Programme Coordinator, Des Tomlinson. Joyce presented information on CAFE with regard to its origins, organisation, goals/objectives and strategy then I followed up with a presentation focussing on my role as UK & Eire Development Officer. Positive discussions followed with regard to how the FAI and CAFE would work together including a great deal of discussion around the new Arriva Stadium soon to be opened in Dublin.

In the afternoon the presentations were repeated with the audience being representatives from various disabled groups based in the Republic of Ireland. These included

Muscular Dystrophy Ireland, Special Olympics Ireland, representatives for the Visually Impaired & Blind, Association of Powerchair Football in Ireland and the Irish Deaf Sports Association. Interest in forming a DSA for the Republic of Ireland was evident and now was as good a time as ever so Joyce proposed that those in attendance take on the mantle of being the interim board for such an organization and this was warmly received. Oisin advised he would make sure any groups not able to attend today were contacted so they could put someone forward to join the interim board.

A successful conclusion to a successful day with the next step being the first ever meeting of the DSA of Ireland and a look at the new Arriva Stadium to take place later in May.

Joyce returned to England and I took the short train journey to Belfast and on the following day I had my first ever face to face meeting with people from the IFA at their headquarters in Windsor Avenue, Belfast which is very close to Windsor Park home ground of Linfield FC and the national team of Northern Ireland.

I met with Jim Rainey from the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs, Alan Crooks IFA Development Manager – Disability Football and Colleen McAuley IFA Community Relations Officer.

I provided everybody with an outline of CAFE and my role and there was a positive response with regard to the concept and idea of CAFE and that the IFA could see benefits from working together.

We had an open discussion which included such items as obtaining contact details of as many disabled fans as possible, looking at disabled facilities currently in place at Windsor Park plus when the stadium is redeveloped and if club level providing support and advise if required. The IFA have already published a strategy document, To Improve the Experience of the Disabled Supporter, which it was agreed CAFE would support wherever possible.

The next step is to provide the IFA with information regarding CAFE which can be circulated in Northern Ireland and share with them our experiences on how to collect data on stadium facilities which all disabled fans will have access to.

I had a quick visit to Windsor Park to familiarize myself with the stadium layout and current facilities. Another successful day slightly tainted with the fact that due to that famous volcano in Iceland I had to make a dash for the port of Belfast for the long journey home by ferry, 2 trains and a bus however it was all worthwhile having had such as positive and friendly response to CAFE in the cities of Dublin and Belfast.

Keith Ferguson

UK & Eire Development Officer