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Preston North End fans joined a football team made up of players who have fled to the UK due to war in their home countries.
They played a friendly five-a-side match and other challenges at Preston College as part of Fair Shot, a new campaign in support of refugees.
Preston North End Community and Education Trust (PNECET), the official charity of Preston North End, partnered with Fair Shot to launch the competition for fans to take part in the day.
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The Trust kicked off the year with the match, a penalty shootout and a crossbar challenge.
The day saw the club’s fans and Fair Shot FC share their passion for football but also gave them the opportunity to engage in conversations, highlighting that within the football community, there is far more that unites than divides.
John, a Preston North End fan who took part said: “Preston North End is a community club; it brings everyone together. The fans are amazing, the teams amazing, the clubs amazing.
“Our fans are loyal, and they have passion. Today has been fantastic, meeting new people and welcoming them into this community.
“A lot of us have suffered in our own way, and football is a great way of us getting out, forgetting all the problems that we have at home. Just leave your worries on the pitch, share a laugh and that passion for the game.”
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Three of the Fair Shot FC players have been selected from Preston’s own Sir Tim Finney Soccer Centre.
Diego from Fair Shot FC added: “It was amazing to be playing here in Preston where I live, and welcoming the rest of the team here.
“I loved meeting the amazing fans and sharing our love of the game which we all have in our hearts. With football you don’t need to speak the same language. Even if you don’t know the people, with football they let you in and which is also true of the welcoming community here in Preston here has done for me.”
Preston North End were the second club to host the session.
Mohammed Patel, the equality, diversity and inclusion coordinator at PNECET said: “Part of my work is to remove barriers to ensure that our fanbase reflects the rich and diverse community we are so proud of in this city. We’re all under one badge, we’re all in the same city and there is only one football club in Preston, so we want to be as inclusive, and integrated as possible to ensure we have maximum impact with our work across our community.
“Today was amazing. Our passionate Preston North End fans played alongside the incredible Fair Shot team as brothers and they shared their love of the game.
“This brought positivity to all of their lives as they took time to listen to one another’s stories and share their own, showing that despite all of our differences we are really just one community.”
To find out more about Fair Shot FC, you can visit their website.
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