1.2 Activities for Young People Somewhere to go, something to do, someone to show them.


Moss Side Boxing and Physical Training Centre was the inspiration of the late ex-professional boxer Phil Martin, who transformed a burnt out relic of the Moss Side riot above the local Co-op store. What began as diversionary activity (in the form of boxing) was eventually developed offering the long-term unemployed training for jobs in the recreation and leisure industries. The 40 week programme (with 2 days per week at college) led to coaching qualifications. This unique project resulted in 40 unemployed young people gaining full time work.


Phil Martin, who died in 1994, was a reluctant community leader although he accepted the role of father figure. One of his champions Maurice Core, speaking in the Independent, said


“ A lot of the lads jokingly call him Dad behind his back, because he’s always giving advice. Not just about boxing, but about life in general. He’s had a lot of experience himself, its not as if he’s drawing on someone else’s knowledge”


In the same article Phil Martin continues “A lot of youngsters, especially the black kids, come in with an attitude problem. They’ll say ‘I’m black, I can’t do it,’ which is rubbish because there are plenty of black guys out there who are doing it. I tell them that if they want to achieve things they can only do so by working at it.”


Phil Martin talking about the death of Horace Thomas (an aspiring boxer) infamously known for being the first known British victim of crack believed that “Family instability points black men down the wrong road… its about moral standards and discipline. People make a choice, but some people want to keep their old ways.”


Speaking to the MEN in 1991 he realised


“The fine line that sometimes exists between those youths who wander into his Champs Camp and those who decide to take their chance on the streets”


“The trouble we are having now of gangs fighting each other is about a group of between 20 and 30 people, no more than that, who have made their choice… but they are by no means typical of the youths in the area. We have produced [British and Commonwealth] champions from the same background as them. We also have lads here who could be tempted into the fast world of drugs, flash cars and probably an early death.”


“What we have shown is that there is no reason why people can’t improve themselves, if the right conditions are there. We have hundreds of young, men who have not only taken advantage of the chances a place like this offers, but excelled in ways they never dreamed of.”


The Youth Charter’s establishment evolved as an early initiative of the Sports Aid Foundation North West Region, where upon engaging with projects and programmes such as Phil Martin’s inspirational effort, a greater effort was required to provide a structured and socially cohesive approach that would engage the socially disaffected, anti social youth and gangs of the area into meaningful and positive diversionary activity. Whilst the Sports Aid Foundation’s primary role was to fund and support young grass root sporting potential, it was strongly felt that a social environment that was safe and free from the fear of crime, violence and death needed to be addressed as a result of this decision. Lives were not only saved from this approach, but sporting potential was also discovered. A testimony to this approach was the development of Olympic Gold Medalist Darren Campbell MBE.


Moss Side Amateur Reserves (MSAR) was formed in 1995 to enable young people who, through soccer could help ease the gang rivalry and tensions that existed in the Hulme and Moss side area and the City of Manchester. Consisting of rival gang members from the Alexandra Park estate, the key drivers were Billy Hughes (Millennium Powerhouse) who was also the team manager, Irving Williams (Hideaway Project), Geoff Thompson (Youth Charter) and Youth Charter Vice President and sporting ambassador, Sir Bobby Charlton.


The success of Moss Side Amateur Reserves can be measured both on and off the field. They won the South Manchester and Wythenshawe League and some members of the team were selected for trials with league clubs. The club was also honoured to be the last competitive outing for Sir Bobby Charlton on the celebration of his 60th Birthday. The team were also an incentive as peace was maintained in the area with historic international exchange matches with the Ghanaian U17 World Cup winning side and the South African U23 Olympic Squad.


Acceptance into Moss Side Amateurs Reserves brought with it responsibility for the young people involved. Membership brought an immediate support network enabling them to interact socially with their peers without involvement (i.e. buying, selling, transport or administration of illegal substances) in the local drugs ‘scene’. An underlying premise behind the club is that everyone involved must disassociate themselves from any connection with local crime and both individuals and gangs involved in it. This has, on the whole been successful, although there have been past instances where a member was unwilling to commit to the team at the expense of gang association.


The construction of the Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse broadened the opportunities for club members and the wider community with an environment of social and cultural cohesion, which encouraged personal self -development in such areas as education, health, social order and employment.


The Spirit of Hulme and Moss Side Tour of Los Angeles 1994 One of the earliest and most valuable projects undertaken by the Youth Charter involved a reciprocal visit by a group of young people from Hulme and Moss Side to Los Angeles following the Spirit of LA tour of the UK by a group of 20 Los Angelinas following the 1993 LA riots. The ‘Spirit of the Streets Tour of Los Angeles’ representing the most diverse multi-cultural group of young people to leave American shores visited the U.K. with the aim of developing the leadership and experience that would see them return to their communities better equipped to assist their development and every day life and the communities in which they live. Their visit to Moss Side and Hulme during the gang warfare of the time saw an historic interaction between the Youth of Los Angeles and the Youth of Manchester. A valuable outcome was realised providing a greater understanding of not only the social and cultural similarities, but the social and cultural differences of the young people’s motivations, lifestyle choices and behaviours. As a result of this visit, the invitation was accepted to identify a group of young people from the Hulme and Moss Side area who would visit Los Angeles. Young people were also selected out of the Moss Side and Hulme boundaries of Manchester with invitations extended to Trafford and Salford in order to break down the territorial and postcode boundaries.


The references underlined in this report can be hyperlinked on the electronic version via the Youth Charter website: www.youthcharter.co.uk


page 8 *Refer reference pages 45 - 46 page 9


Additional motivation and encouragement was provided with the visit of the then Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality and Vice President of the Youth Charter, Lord Ousley who met with the Moss Side Amateur Reserves to learn from them as well as discuss the social and cultural barriers facing them as part of their every day lives.


Moss Side Amateur Reserves aimed to reduce territorial fear by inviting each other to their respective youth clubs. Wearing the same football strip was symbolic of reducing the divisions between the two groups. The team was composed of hard-core gang members who responded to the acknowledgement of their football achievements and the help given to them. For example, they were given access to Manchester City’s training facilities, the Youth Charter provided football kit, they had the support of Sir Bobby Charlton and motivational, life skill and lifestyle advice was provided by Geoff Thompson MBE.


“As part of the developmental agenda the team sometimes had to be counselled over how it should react to problems, such as racist match officials. Responses included just playing so well that decisions against them were irrelevant, and also reporting racism to FA officials. This was part of the agenda of helping young people to address their problems in a socially responsible way.” (Nichols 2004)*


The main successes have come from a more general involvement with club and team where young people removed themselves from involvement with crime (especially drugs) and others who have avoided initial contact. Whilst some players have gone onto professional and semi-professional football (e.g. Wayne Collins (Sheffield), Gary Bennett (Manchester City), Clive Wilson (Spurs) and Wes Brown (Manchester United)) others have utilised their skills in employment, establishing their own business and in one case music promotions. However, and within the Youth Charter’s experience and belief that sport and the arts are simply a vaccine or antidote at best, it is not the solution or treatment for all of society’s ills within the social and cultural challenges that these young men face. The Moss Side Amateur Reserves goalkeeper Errol Jones ended up serving a life sentence in a Category A institution for a gang related killing.


Fig. 1.3 Spirit of the Streets Tour of LA received their UN Citation from the Amateur Foundation in Los Angeles


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