Northern Irish football fans urged to donate boots to local charity this winter

Pictured at the launch of the Bring Your Boots campaign are Johnny Tuffey (Crusaders FC), Gerard Lawlor (NIFL), Justin McMinn (Street Soccer NI) and Stephen Mallon (Cliftonville FC)

The Northern Irish Football League (NIFL) have announced a partnership with local charity Street Soccer NI to help as many people play football as possible this winter.

With the heralding of the New Year, the two organisations have begun a bid to try and provide the resources for those less fortunate to get out on the pitch in 2024 by urging fans to donate their pre-worn football boots for others to use.

Working with homeless individuals and disadvantaged communities, Street Soccer NI focuses on transforming lives through football via various programmes aimed at targeting homelessness, unemployment, addiction and mental health issues and more.

Having been set up in 2010, one of the biggest issues the charity deals with is a lack of resources for those they work with, which means they can’t get as many people signed up as they would like.

And, in association with NIFL and its clubs, Street Soccer NI is looking for fans to pass on boots that are no longer worn which will provide the charity with the opportunity to bring people into their programmes by providing their own resources instead.

Collection points will be available at the grounds of all 12 Sports Direct Premiership clubs on match days throughout January, along with additional drop off locations in club shops, too.

Justin McMinn, Street Soccer NI co-founder explained: “The objective of this new campaign is to help provide boots for participants who are maybe out of work or can’t afford them as ultimately we don’t want to see anyone excluded from our sessions.

“We’re delighted to have