Leeds United hope to inspire future Premier League stars from disadvantaged and refugee communities

Leeds United believe the excitement of promotion to the Premier League will help inspire future footballing stars from the city’s disadvantaged communities.
GENERATION AMAZING - Leeds Utd owner Andrea Radrizzani, Leeds Utd director of education Spencer Taylor, Sheffield FC director of football Chris Dolby and Generation Amazing executive director Mushtaq al Waeli at Elland Road.GENERATION AMAZING - Leeds Utd owner Andrea Radrizzani, Leeds Utd director of education Spencer Taylor, Sheffield FC director of football Chris Dolby and Generation Amazing executive director Mushtaq al Waeli at Elland Road.
GENERATION AMAZING - Leeds Utd owner Andrea Radrizzani, Leeds Utd director of education Spencer Taylor, Sheffield FC director of football Chris Dolby and Generation Amazing executive director Mushtaq al Waeli at Elland Road.

The club want to capitalise on the huge celebrations following the end of their 16-year top-flight exile.

Last year Leeds signed a four-year-deal with Qatar to help promote football among the disadvantaged and refugee community as part of the legacy of the 2022 World Cup.

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Leeds United director of education Spencer Taylor spoke of the benefits that the partnership, called Generation Amazing, could bring to the region, especially now following promotion.

“What a great achievement for the club and community to be in the Premiership,” he said. “The excitement of promotion can only help in developing opportunities for our community.

“Leeds is a club that provides opportunities to its local community and further afield, providing a positive impact through the brand.

“Working with partners like Generation Amazing through football for development and social inclusion programmes across the city delivers the correct pathways, identifies talent and shows what is needed to be successful.

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“Each individual’s success is measured differently and it’s important we develop and support each and everyone who attend the courses with Generation Amazing.’’

SUPPORT - Leeds United stars Pablo Hernandez, Tyler Roberts and Kalvin Phillips warming up at Elland Road in Generation Amazing shirts.SUPPORT - Leeds United stars Pablo Hernandez, Tyler Roberts and Kalvin Phillips warming up at Elland Road in Generation Amazing shirts.
SUPPORT - Leeds United stars Pablo Hernandez, Tyler Roberts and Kalvin Phillips warming up at Elland Road in Generation Amazing shirts.

Asked if this could one day result in a refugee playing for Leeds United, he said: “There are always possibilities for an individual to play for Leeds United, so I believe that there is the possibility for this to happen.”

Even if they didn’t end up as professional footballers the young people of Leeds could benefit in many other ways.

Taylor added: “More participation in positive activities offer a range of opportunities to young people building resilience, social and emotional skills, self-esteem and confidence, to ensure that an increasing percentage of young people in the area make positive choices on lifestyle decisions.”

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Taylor was speaking as the Generation Amazing programme prepares for a September start following the pandemic, if restrictions permit.

Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani signed the partnership with Qatar last year to bring football to disadvantaged parts of the Yorkshire region.

The tie up with Leeds United will centre on Hunslet, Beeston and Chapeltown while another with Sheffield FC will focus on Maltby, Dronfield and the Steel city itself.

Sheffield FC coach Jamie Yates has been hired to deliver training sessions to refugees in the region in the hope that a league can be created.

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He is being mentored by former Hull City academy coach, Michael Richardson.

Richardson said: “It’s all about using the game of football for personal development – how do they ask questions, how do they set challenges and teach people how to win and lose fairly.

It’s about using sport to communicate social messages or facilitate social skill development.”

Yates was joined by four refugees and a group of Sheffield FC players for ‘train the trainer’ sessions over three days at the club’s Coach and Horses ground last October.

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This was followed up by a trip to Doha by Leeds United staff and youngsters from the area to attend workshops on social inclusion and gender equality.

Explaining how the programme will be rolled out, Richardson added: ‘Jamie will go into, say, four different communities – two in Leeds and two in Sheffield – and deliver regular sessions over 10 weeks.

“We would have 20-25 people at each location, four or five of whom might themselves be interested in coaching and setting up teams. Something we’d really like to see would be different locations evolving into regular participation and then wanting to compete with other communities in a league”.

The Leeds and Sheffield clubs are paying for the coaching and arranging venues while Qatar provides kit, the curriculum and initial training.

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Nasser Al Khori, Generation Amazing’s director of programmes, said the Leeds and Sheffield youth advocates will join 1,500 people around the world who have received similar training in football for development.

“Leeds United expressed an interest because there’s a large number of refugees around them. Generation Amazing is about using the World Cup to help refugees, to give young children a brighter future and inspire them to help themselves”.

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