Under-23 stars drop by at half-term tournament

During this week’s October half-term, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation hosted a community football tournament at Ferry Lane Estate for 50 local children aged between 13 and 15 years old.

Under-23 players Jamie Reynolds and Jon Dinzeyi paid a visit to the event to give the youngsters a helping hand and observe their skills. Ahead of the final, Jamie and Jon helped manage the competing teams, offering them words of encouragement and advice before kick-off.

Many of the children who played in the tournament regularly attend Premier League Kicks, a programme that was launched and piloted by the Foundation on Ferry Lane. Kicks uses the power of football to help young people who are at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour or crime and break down the barriers between young people and the police.

The Foundation runs free football coaching for children aged between 11 and 19 who live on the estate. As well as teaching the youngsters football skills, these sessions aim to help the children work together to build a safer, stronger and more respectful community, and equip them with skills to help steer them away from crime.

Richard Allicock, Community Development Manager at Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: “This week’s tournament is just one example of the work the Foundation does to bring youngsters from our local community together during the school holidays. It’s been great to have the support of a couple of our Under-23 players and see them encouraging the boys and helping them to improve their skills.”