Partners
Football Association (FA)
Asian soccer stars to be discovered thanks to new FA-backed scheme.
Chelsea have teamed up with The FA, Kick It Out and the Asian Media Group in a search for young Asian football stars of the future.
Asian Soccer Star will see open trials for youngsters from Asian backgrounds during the May bank holiday with the most talented players being offered a three-day residential trial at the Club’s world class academy.
Zesh Rehman, the first British Asian player to play at all levels of the professional game, said: “I think clubs need to take a more active role and engage with their communities, and I think it’s a great project.
“Chelsea are a Premier League club with a massive profile across the world and I’m sure that other clubs can look at that and use it as a template for future reference.” For more details, please visit: http://www.thefa.com/
I am delighted and honoured to accept an offer from Lord David Triesman at The FA to become an ambassador for Englands bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. I hope to help the campaign in whatever that I can and hope its a success. England is one of 9 competitors bidding to host the 2018 or 2022 tournament. My role will enatail attending and participating in selected bid functi0ns that will take place over the course of the campaign.
To fnd out more about the Bid and the Ambassadors vist the following link. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2558/news/2009/10/23/1579510/england-2018-world-cup-bid-announces-ambassadors-squad
PFA MANAGEMENT COMMITEE:
Its a huge honour to be invited onto the Management Committee directly by Gordon Taylor. Gordon is doing great work for all its members. I had a greater insight into the excellent work being done when I attended the PFA recently in Manchester as Bradford City Delegate. To find out more about the delegates visit the following link: http://www.givemefootball.com/pfa/about-the-pfa/delegates
The role of the Management Committee is to liase with the Chief Executive and to give direction in fulfilling the objectives of the Organisation
PFA Supporting The Cause For More Asian Players
A Few months ago there was a very productive meeting with the PFA regarding the under representation of Asian players in Proffessional football. Bobby Barnes and Simone Pound kindly invited me to the PFA offices to discuss my career path and also help put suggestions to them on how to get the next generation of potential Asian players into the system. We also spoke about some of the cultural boundaries/obstacles that faced me on my route to becoming a footballer.I feel very fortunate to be in the postion im in and nothing else would give me more pleasure than to see a steady incline in the number of Asian proffessionals over the coming years. The PFA are very active in helping to overcome this problem and with the feedback of myself, Adnan Ahmed (Tranmere Rovers) &Anwar Uddin (Dagenham & Redbridge) hopefully some of these issues can be tackled. No doubt it will be very diffucult to increase the numbers overnight but the interest and potential is definately there amongst Britains Asian community.
The official PFA website http://www.givemefootball.com/ has a section dedictaed to this issue. It can be found by clicking The Pfa and followed by clicking the PFA and anti racism.
Adworx Printing.com
Its a privellage to be working with Adworx printing.com. The guys there Lutfur Rahman, James Mcfarlane and Noor Alvi have done a terrific job in putting my website together. Adworx have several years of design experience and pride themselves in adding value and exceptional service to their customers. The expertise they can offer vary from leaflets, banners, menues, logos, t-shirts and posters to business cards and websites. I have found them very friendly and flexibile to cater for my individual needs. They also offer cost effecttive prices.
http://www.adworxprinting.com/
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Zesh at Adworx |
Alvi (web designer), Zesh, Lutfur Rahman (Director) James (Graphic Designer) |
Adams Branches
Its an absolute pleasure to be Sponsred by Adams. The company is the largest group of specialist catering cash and carry stores in the Uk. The branches are based in Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield. Preston and Hull. I will be working closely with Sajad Hussain on rasing the profile of Bradford City through the Asian Community and hopefully inspiring others to get on board with the club and feel apart of it and the community. I am looking forward to our venture. You can find out more about Adams on http://www.adams-branches.com/
2ND SETANTA BLOG
My second blog for Setanta is on clubs following the lead of Bradford City in the community to encourage intergration. Bradford should be used as the template for the other clubs to look at. You can read the full blog and leave comments by going on to http://www.setanta.com/
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Zesh and Chris Stanton from Setanta |
AMBASSADOR FOR THE PRINCES TRUST
Its an honour to be an ambassador for the Princes Trust. The Princes Trust is the Uk's leading youth charity, committed to helping to change lives. It provides support, training and mentoring to 14-30 year olds, helping them find work and discover their true potential. Like football The Princes Trust brings together young people from different backgrounds and communities. Through partnership with The Premier League, The PFA and The Football Foundation the Trust is working with over 60 Proffessional clubs using the power of football to help change lives in the UK. Visit Prince's Trust website at http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/ to find out more.
Childrens Today Charity
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zesh and Liz Oakes |
Hopefully through the power of football and the positive impact it can have on peoples lives it will help to put a smile on some of these childrens faces and improve thier lives for the better.
I will be working with Elizabeth Oakes from the charity to try and continue their good work. For more information visit http://www.children-today.org.uk/
See the latest story on the website http://www.children-today.org.uk/category/events/
Kick It Out
Last night It was great to take part in the anti racism campaign for kick it out, who are dedicated to tackling race issues at all levels of the game. The event was held at the FA head quarters in Soho Square. It was called "one game" There a wide range of people present from coaches, players (my self and Jamie Lawrence), governing bodies such as the football foundation and also groups of people who are doing some excellent work in the communities at grass roots level across london.
The event was showcased by Piara Powar who is doing terrific work across the U.K to help spread the anti racism message so it can be stamped out of the game at all levels. You can read more about the evening on the Kick it out website (www.kickitout.org./). Overall it was a very worthwhile evening and pleasing to know there is lots of great work being done by a whole host of people using the power of football as the main difference maker. It was a pleasure to participate in the event.
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Zesh and Danny Lunch from "Kick It Out" |
Ambassador For The Asian Football Network
Its an honour to be an ambassador for the Asian Football network, the guys who are connected with this project are doing a great job in creating opportunities for Asian players to become involved in all aspects of the game. It is a credit to everyone who helps run and maintain the good work, which is all done on a voluntary basis. I am pleased to be in the news and events section on the site for May 2008.To learn more about this and get involved yourself just visit the site, it is on my favourite sites section in the blog. This helps me to give something back to the community/ game and try to encourage participation in the game.
For more information please visit The Asian Footbal Nework website at http://www.asianfootballnetwork.org.uk/
Show Racism The Red Card
Last friday saw participation in the national Show Racism The Red Card event which is an organistaion using high profile players and managers to help irradicate the racism issue from the game. The event took place in Harrow with local school children asking questions to a panel consisting of my self, Damion Delaney, Leroy Rosenior and Dave Basset.
It went very well and hopefully we helped to educate those children on how to combat racism and how to report it and deal with it. Football is the perfect vehicle to help spread the anti racism message and is a power weapon in terms of helping to bridge cultural gaps in our society.
Hopefully a video link will be set up shortly so it will be possible to watch the Interviews and also watch the question and answer session for the show racism the red card event. For more information visit website at http://www.srtrc.org/
ASIAN EXPRESS COLUMNS
For the last 2-3 months I have had regular Columns in the Asian Express which is a free newspaper which covers Yorkshire/Lancashire. The paper comes out weekly and my Column topics have varied from playing in different position, diet/nutrition, anti-racism work and most recntly the Bradford City project on and off the pitch. For more information please visit Asian Express website at http://www.asianexpress.co.uk/
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Zesh and Will Astbury from "The Asian Express" |
MOSAIC
I have linked up with Mosiac and will be working closely with Noreen Khan and Ian Ormonroyd of The Bradford City Community Department to visit schools in the Bradford area to engage the local community into the football club. The goal is to help them strive to reach their goals and achieve success with their lives. We have got off to a flying start viiting several schools. Noreens career in the past four years has enabled her to engage with students at all levels throughout Yorkshire and the Humber. I am looking forward to working closely with her to make a difference to these kids.
Mosaic Mentoring matches volunteer mentors with young Muslims and their peers at schools and in community groups, and Muslim prisoners during the vulnerable period of transition from prison back into society.
Mosaic mentoring aims to raise aspirations and provide access to opportunities for education and employment otherwise not available to them, as well as broadening horizons, providing positive role models and opening networks to access employment and education.
http://www.mosaicnetwork.co.uk/
Mosaic is a Muslim-Led initiative founded by HRH The Prince of Wales back in 2007, but it must be stressed that this is by no means a Muslim Exclusive initiative.
To see my profile on the speakers bureau of mosaic visit http://www.mosiacnetwork.co.uk/speakers
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(At Dixons Allerton Academy with Bradford City Team mates clearing snow and Noreen Khan From Mosiac) |
PFA MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
http://www.givemefootball.com/pfa/about-the-pfa/management-committee