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Philip Doyle (yellow), one of several players who feature in the documentary. Street Leagues

'I never felt such support in my life': The football club that has become a lifeline for homeless people

Homeless people from all walks of life attend regular training sessions in what has become a vital resource for players.

LAST UPDATE | 27 Feb 2020

AS THE HOMELESS crisis escalates and politicians make promises to tackle it, charities and grassroots organisations are rallying to provide supports to those who need them. 

Soup kitchens continue to be rolled out on the streets of towns and cities across the country several nights a week – a service mostly provided by charity groups who offer the service to rough sleepers and those in emergency accommodation. 

But while the soup kitchens are one lifeline to homeless people who would otherwise go hungry, another support which has been life-changing for those who – often through no fault of their own – find themselves living day-to-day without a place to call their own has been the Homeless Street Leagues. 

The volunteer-led organisation has been up and running since 2004 and aims to provide a community environment through sport for those who feel they have been excluded from society. 

A new documentary from Daniel F Holmes, debuting this month at the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, charts the Irish team’s journey to Oslo in 2017 for the Homeless World Cup. 

Those who took part in the tournament describe the effect it has had on them, questioning where they might have ended up if they didn’t have the support from their teammates both on and off the pitch. 

“If there was a word bigger than ‘amazing’ I would use it to describe the world cup in Oslo,” 36-year-old Philip Doyle from Kildare told TheJournal.ie. 

When you’re watching players on the telly – your heroes – you never think you could be one of those people that represents your own country on a pitch. It never dawned on me that I would be doing that someday.”

Doyle was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia in his teenage years, which made him feel excluded and different. The mental health issues he faced as a result, along with his own coming to terms with his sexuality as a gay man, led him to an over reliance on alcohol by the time he reached his 20s. 

He continued to live with this addiction into his 30s but when his father passed away he decided “life is too short and if I didn’t change, I would be following my father to a slab”.

“My addiction started at a young age and from around 20 years of age, I drank a lot. It was to block out things in my life, having a disability, not accepting who I am. Drink was the only way I could be normal around people,” he said. 

That spiralled out of control and I was working part-time jobs here and there but still drinking heavy with that. It was a lonely place, that’s the only way to describe it. A lonely place. 

“I didn’t want anybody in and kept a wall up around myself the whole time. I went through life trying to protect that and from letting myself out.”

By chance, and with his younger brother’s help, Philip managed to get involved with Ellistown football club in Kildare. After a period with the club, he decided to enter rehab therapy and after coming out the other side, he is now four years sober. 

He moved to Dublin when he was 32 for a fresh start, first living in a residential centre and subsequently moving from rented house to rented house while he waits to be housed by the local authority. 

21728355_1569586439784797_3096882277299321412_n A team picture of the men who play with the Homeless Street Leagues.

He joined the Homeless Street Leagues through the recommendation of a friend in the residential centre, and while he is working in retail during the week, he said he lives for the Saturday morning training session with his teammates. 

Impact

“It had a massive impact on me because it’s just amazing. When I have nothing to do or no one to talk to, I know I’ll always have soccer and it’s a big part of my life, ” he said. “It’s like a drug itself and people don’t realise how powerful or important it can be to your life.

“It kept you in control of what you were doing with yourself, and working with people – and being part of a team shows you that you can’t win as just one person, you need the whole team around you. 

“It gives you balance. If you’re working and you have your job but no other outlet, then soccer becomes your outlet, and the stress and worries all leave your body when you’re out on the field.”

Doyle told his team mates about his own sexuality and coming to terms with it while on a trip away with the group. He said he has never felt more included or accepted in the years before that. 

“I was asked by one of my teammates and it was just a straight question and I just said ‘I am [gay] and that doesn’t change who I am or what I can do on the pitch’. 

“My teammates just jumped right in beside me and I never felt so much support in my life by my own team mates and the staff. They treated me so good after that and gave me something I wanted all my life – to just be accepted as a player.”

He added: “Now I can start taking down those walls and those blocks I put up.”

The Homeless Street Leagues welcomes those from a number of different backgrounds, including recovering drug addicts, ex-offenders, homeless people, and asylum seekers. 

Philip’s story is just one of many from the men and women who are involved with the Homeless Street Leagues. The documentary Street Leagues will be debuted at Cineworld, Parnell Street on Saturday 29 February as part of the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, which runs until 8 March. 

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:26 AM

    Amazing how the US sends it’s warships around the world it’s called a show of strength. Yet when others do the same it’s an act of aggression. There up to something.

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    Mute Fred North
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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:15 AM

    @: *They’re

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:20 AM

    Well if I were an Israeli or South Korean, I’d feel better knowling there was a US carrier group anchored off my coast.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 12:22 PM

    Gunboat diplomacy.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:45 AM

    The world is going into melt down. Conflict everywhere.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:36 AM

    That’s it, poke the bear.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:00 AM

    I’ve done extensive research and can’t seem to find anywhere, the exact date and time that the treaty was signed that the USA were assigned leaders of the world. They must have just assumed it.

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    Mute Zionist Shill
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:05 AM

    @: You obviously didn’t get our memo.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:11 AM

    Who else is going to do it? Chibna? Rhw UN?

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    Oct 12th 2023, 1:41 PM

    @: if Ireland was invaded tomorrow you be all wondering when the yanks where landing in Shannon and coming to your rescue . Liberating the Irish people GOOD. Liberating the Afghan people bad . American soldiers dying for Ireland GOOD . American soldiers dying for Afghan people BAD .

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    Mute Sean
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    Oct 12th 2023, 3:00 PM

    @Jack Moss: Oh yes. They liberated those Afghani real good! And those poppy fields got liberated too.. Thank God for our boys in the US and British army. Tally ho!

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    Oct 12th 2023, 3:13 PM

    @Sean: Actually it was 40 countries that made up ISAF . There is no guaranteed any military operation is going to work . If you are scared of failure then you will never achieve anything . Thank god the rest of the world didn’t think like the Irish do otherwise the Nazis would have won WW2 . South korea would be an extension of N Korea . Millions would have died in the Balkans from ethnic cleansing . The civil war in Sierra Leon would stil be happening .

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    Oct 12th 2023, 3:23 PM

    @Jack Moss: you’d think after 20 years & how many innocent civilians that had to die it might have worked. Back to square one though

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:39 PM

    @Jack Moss: Your cognitive dissonance is showing.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:27 AM

    Cant everyone just relax

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    Mute Tomasso San Roque
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:37 AM

    @: we’ll they could, but there’s weapons to be sold and wealthy donees to be satisfied.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:48 AM

    @Tomasso San Roque: well ?

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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:49 AM

    @Dave Harris: we’ll

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    Mute Jack Moss
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    Oct 12th 2023, 1:44 PM

    @Tomasso San Roque: actually weapons and munitions have a shelve life then need replaced . They are normally used for training purposes at the end of their live . You don’t need wars to sell munitions and weapons .

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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:40 AM

    This coming from a sitting US President who said that “climate change” is a bigger threat to the world than nuclear war!

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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:54 AM

    @mainmsam: it is ! A nuclear war might or might not kick off – it’s not definite. Climate change is actually happening.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:03 AM

    @Dave Harris: what flavours does Koolaid come in these days?

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:30 AM

    @Dave Harris: good man Dave

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    Oct 12th 2023, 12:26 PM

    @mainmsam: to be fair, he’s changing that. Nuclear war has become a greater threat in the last 3 years.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:55 AM

    Armageddon is coming, repent

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    Oct 12th 2023, 2:36 PM

    @: we’ll at least we will finally have a World Cup in our hands before it’s lights out.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:54 AM

    Stop winding the guy up

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    Mute Caoimín Ó Muircheartaigh
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    Oct 12th 2023, 10:10 AM

    According to the Journal Russia has exhausted its ammunition. No evidence of this claim while Russia is chasing Nato officers/UAF out of bunkers Then we’ve a quote from Trump blaming Biden for handling the crisis in Israel/Palestine and a counter-response from a nobody working for Biden.
    Russia lost Moskva to a missile. The Ronald Reagan is made of 70k tonnes of steel. They all sink if you hit the spot. The Journal makes for tabloid reading with its opinions, so long as you get the facts from somewhere else, but that won’t be in the Western mainstream media.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 10:04 AM

    Just what the world doesnt need right now….

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    Oct 12th 2023, 11:06 AM

    @Tom Newell: it’s exactly what the world needs. When your neighbourhood is rioting, you need more police, not less.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 10:26 AM

    These aircraft carriers are sitting ducks even for NK’s limited military.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 11:49 AM

    @James Brohan: let’s see if the North Koreans would like to test that theory.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 8:52 AM

    I see the little rata Putin is creeping out of his nest in Moscow. Be a nice change of scene from his bugout bunker in St.Peterburg.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:02 AM

    @honey badger: You should travel over there and confront him, let us know how you get on.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:03 AM

    @honey badger: the likely hood of you leaving your bugout bunker is increasing daily with the fact it’s day 5 since the last article about the Ukraine war. Amazing how quickly the world moved on isn’t it?

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:13 AM

    @: lol ffs.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:14 AM

    @honey badger: when are you going over to escort Russia off Ukraine’s premises?

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:15 AM

    @Is it 5 days since yesterday already?
    Silly.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:30 AM

    @honey badger: No article on the Ukraine war yesterday. The article was about how they may have found an informer who gave up information. Nothing about the actual war or the daily updates of Russia killing people, or Zelensky out with his begging bowl in 5 days. Must be terrible for you not having anywhere “show your support” to Ukraine by insulting people.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:42 AM

    @: You’re right, the article about identifying traitors who helped Russia murder over 50 ukrainian civilians has absolutely nothing to do with Russias invasion of Ukraine.
    Clown, lol.

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    Oct 12th 2023, 12:23 PM

    @honey badger: There’s the insults again. I’m sure Zelensky feels the support when you type them here.

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:39 AM

    Show off

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    Mute Luka Roche
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    Oct 12th 2023, 9:57 AM

    I think WW3 is brewing in the background as the decade of 2020 to 2029 has brought a wars with Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Palestine

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    Oct 12th 2023, 7:48 AM

    “negative ghost Rider, the pattern is full”

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    Mute Ham Hat
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    Oct 12th 2023, 4:29 PM

    Why the Comment section is open?

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    Mute K H
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    Oct 13th 2023, 2:37 AM

    It’s kicking off everywhere..Ukraine , Syria , Yemen, Palestine/Israel , The Korea’s, China / Taiwan …. the lobbyists on the hill and the weapons traders and manufacturers must think they’ve hit the jackpot .. enjoy the champagne and fine dining, while the rest of us watch the world go up in flames on our 4K Hi definition surround sound 55inch TV’s… humanity, destined to destroy itself.. but nevermind, just keep shopping. Oh dear

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