M.C.F.C. Sierra Leone Please Help

Site dedicated to helping MCFC Sierra Leone to stay in existance and indeed become finacially independent - To this end the bus is now purchsed NOW delivered to Sierra Leone MCFC along with all sorts of kit - BUT we still need to pay off the bus - insure it - maintain it - put fuel in it etc - PLEASE KEEP GIVING - WE NEED IT NOW MORE THAN EVER - THANKS FOR HELPING

BLUES TOGETHER

Wednesday, 3 November 2010

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED....

Armani's flight arrived at Heathrow this morning (Wed 3rd Nov) an hour early and was met by Tony....they're both now on the way back to Reddish.

Posted by Howard Burr at 07:39

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PLEASE HELP SIERRA LEONE MCFC

FUTURE PLAYERS WITH ARMANI

YOUR BUS

THANKS TO ALL

MCFC

Sierra Leone

Do they not look the part

one great player a few good ones and a couple of fat guys

This is the effect YOU are having

we did NOT donate this shirt - miles from anywhere - brilliant

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Alex Channon
Howard Burr
TONY GRIFFITHS
PHIL HOLME

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THE STORY SO FAR

In the autumn of 2003 a member of Reddish Branch of the MCFC supporters club completed 30 years as a police officer in Manchester and retired. He then started working in Sierra Leone in West Africa, where his job was to train detectives out there to investigate child abuse.

Sierra Leone has for the past several years been either last, or second to last in the world wealth league tables published every year. Average life expectancy is around 38 years and living conditions for most people are appalling. On top of all these problems the country has gone through a particularly bloody civil war that lasted 11 years and only ended in 2000.

When he arrived in Freetown, the capital City, Tony noticed the usual scattering of people wearing Arsenal, Liverpool and Stretford shirts. It soon became apparent that football is massive in the country and most people follow the English Premier League.

At the end of his first week he was enjoying a beer at a beach bar when a young man approached him by the name of Armani Sheku Kamara who was selling watches, sunglasses etc. He noticed that he was wearing a Stretford lapel badge and as Tony is a dyed in the wool blue he joked with the young man that he could not buy any of his merchandise from a man wearing such an offensive item. Within a short time he agreed to throw the offending item into the Atlantic Ocean and negotiations commenced.

It soon became apparent that not only did he have a good knowledge of Premier League football he also had a good knowledge of the ups and downs of Manchester City. He assured Tony that he was only wearing the offending badge because a customer had given it to him and he promised him that if he could get him a City shirt he would be a City fan for the rest of his life. Little did he know what that conversation would lead to.

In early 2004 Tony returned to Sierra Leone having spent a few weeks back in Manchester, and of course took back with him a City shirt for Armani. Within a few days of receiving the shirt Armani told Tony that he was setting up a Man City Supporters Club in Freetown. When Tony next returned to UK he discussed the Sierra Leone situation, first with Howard Burr the Secretary of the Reddish Branch and then with Alex Channon former Chair of the CSA. It was then that the Sierra Leone Branch of the Manchester City Supporters Club was born.

On Tony’s next visit he was able to take back with him several dozen assorted City shirts donated by City fans over here. They proved very popular and soon were being seen all around the Freetown streets. Soon Armani had formed a Manchester City Football team in Freetown as well as a Junior Man City team. The problem was that they were wearing a red and white striped kit that they had to rent on a match-by-match basis. Following discussion with Lorraine Firth at Manchester City the Club kindly donated a full kit for the team out there. There was also a concerted effort by a lot of Branches to collect as many shirts, boots as possible these were also sent out to Sierra Leone.

Tony Griffiths last visited Sierra Leone in March 2007 and we were proud to hear of many men women and children wearing an array of City shirts around the capital and beyond. The football team formed such a short time ago is going from strength to strength and Armani is something of a local celebrity who is frequently interviewed on national radio in Sierra Leone and works extremely hard to promote Man City for no financial reward.

The Phuket Branch of the MCFC Supporters Club then very kindly donated both a new home and away kit as many of the shirts donated were getting a bit passed it. On 23^rd November 2008 the Man City Youth team appeared in the Sierra Leone F.A. Youth Cup final and WON. Not bad for a team that did not exist 4 years ago. You now can't walk through Freetown without seeing a City shirt and hearing shouts of “City till I die”

Unfortunately the first team had to pull out of the main league last season as it did not have enough cash to fulfil their away fixtures although the league have agreed to keep their place in division two for next season assuming they have funds in place.

The next phase was to try and help make the team financially independent by raising money for a mini bus this would double up as both transport to away matches, which is one of the most prohibitive costs to the team, and during the rest of the week it would become a revenue maker by running it as a proper bus in Freetown. This would give two people a job and also raise enough cash to keep the teams running. Also it should provide enough to replace the bus every 10 years.

This is not just another fund raiser - the work being done is changing lives and keeping young people off the streets and giving them a common bond - it is CHANGING LIVES and even SAVING some.

Some of you will remember the bucket collection at the Arsenal game last season which raised around £2500. We have had donations from various individuals plus we have the donation button at the top of this page PLEASE USE IT we need YOUR DOSH

, there were various events ran to raise monies. We have collected hundreds of City shirts, training gear, boots etc - and the effort continues……

Photos of Armani’s tremendous work were regularly sent to the Club and Howard was contacted by Garry Cook who thought it was great idea and wanted to know more. We had a meeting with Garry who offered the services and expertise of the Club to make our dreams become a reality. CITC Ambassador Paul Lake was given the task of working with us.

As we know this started out as a CSA venture BUT through this appeal and talking to the OSC and the Club, it was decided by a landslide to unite the two Supporters organisations into one. The first meeting of the new Manchester City Supporters Club took place on Sunday 4^th July where Tony gave a talk on Sierra Leone which was well received - so this is now truly a fund raising effort by ALL City fans under the new banner.

When Garry Cook got involved he set a deadline for the delivery of the bus and I am pleased to say that we are on target for that delivery on the 26^th August.

The bus arrived in Manchester on 12^th July where it was liveried up with sponsorship logos including the new MCFC Supporters Club logo. Special thanks to Barclay Signs Ltd from Stockport who did this free of charge. The bus is now on its way to Sierra Leone with all the kit and equipment donated by Man City fans where Tony, Howard, Alex, Paul, Neil Cole from Endemol (who will be filming the whole process) and myself (Phil Holme) will be there to meet and deliver it to MCFC Sierra Leone and Armani.

This is the culmination of a lot of effort and hard work by so many people and it continues. Tony and Howard have been to Branch meetings at Poynton and Hazel Grove giving a presentation on the whole project which was very well received and donations were made of City shirts and money. Both Tony and Howard are available to give a presentation at your Branch meeting and you will not be disappointed as this is a great story, it really is. If you would like to see the presentation your Branch Meeting please contact either Howard at reddishblues@btinternet.com or Tony at tony@griffiths7786.fsnet.co.uk - they would only be too happy to tell this wonderful story.

We can’t thank the Club enough in particular Garry Cook and Paul Lake but everyone has been fantastic, there are too many to mention but our heartfelt thanks goes to EVERYONE who has been involved in helping or donating in anyway whatever. Without you it would not have happened but please remember the appeal goes on.

City as a Club have always been fan friendly. When we were taken over, there were those who thought here we go another rags or chelski etc. Well I’m here to tell you the heart of Man City is in great shape and if anything is going to get even more fan friendly especially with the unification of the Supporters Club. I am proud of my football club (how many can say that in this day and age) long may it continue thank you Sheikh Mansour

On 28^th July a container was loaded with the bus and six pallets of kit, training gear, laptops, books, a kids bike a scooter and a partridge in a pear tree (well maybe not the last one) Alex and Howard were there to lend a hand and Neil was there to film the container being loaded. The long journey began on the 29^th July with the container off to Felixstowe where it will be loaded aboard the ship bound for Freetown and is due to arrive on 26^th August. We, that is Tony, Alex, Howard, Paul, Neil and myself will be leaving on 25^th August for Freetown to meet the ship the following day - here’s hoping it’s on time (everything is crossed).

There is a very busy itinerary whilst we are there Armani has contacted the Minister for Sport and various media outlets that want the story. We will be going to various schools and we will be attending a football game of MCFC Sierra Leone. On the Saturday we will be handing out training gear and kit to the teams at our hotel and on the Sunday it will be the official handover of the bus outside the National Stadium.

Neil will be filming the entire trip and you will be able to see this on Citys website and BBC North West.

So it’s all go from here guys - I reckon we may add just a little water to the docks on the 26th - can't see there being a dry eye so to speak
Thanks again for all your support - and please remember we are still collecting.

Phil Holme – Portadown Branch

philholme@btinternet.com. Awesome Inc. template. Powered by Blogger.

Wednesday, 3 November 2010

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED....

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