Description
"The idea behind this project is to methodically unite two hostile football fan groups (supporters of Stal Rzeszów and Resovia) in the Podkarpacie Province by partnering with neutral clubs (Orły Rzeszów and Stabak IF). The project aims at integrating football fans and developing positive youth behaviours in sports arenas. A diverse range of activities such as meetings, camps, training workshops and a broad education and outreach campaign are expected to reduce the amount of hate speech, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and aggression during football matches. The project will directly target 700 - 1000 children aged 12-19 (education meetings in middle schools, camps). Indirectly, the message will reach up to several thousand individuals/fans online and via an educational spot. The project is implemented in partnership with Stabak IF, which results in a wider exchange of knowledge, experience and good practice. The adoption of a model used in Norway to model desirable youth behaviours at stadiums will add value to the project."
Summary of project results
"In the Podkarpackie voivodships, there are 600 football clubs (the highest number in Poland), Each year, senior teams play c. 220 matches. During these matches, football fans are aggressive - they manifest racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. In 2010, 304 stadium bans were enforced, including 170 in the Stal Rzeszów football club (the highest number in Poland). 5 incidents of hooliganism were reported and 74 cases were brought to court. Tough competition during matches, losing not accepted and rejecting the referees' decisions lead to aggressive behaviour of not only young football fans but also sport activists, trainers and also the players. The aim of the project was to design joint activities for young people from the rival football clubs in Podkarpacie - Stal Rzeszów and Resovia Rzeszów - and from neutral clubs - Orły Rzeszów and a Norwegian club Stabak IF. The aim was also minimizing aggressive and xenophobic behaviour, which accompanies football matches in Podkarpacie. Thanks to the project implementation, young players from the rival football clubs in Rzeszów took part in joint training camps. Together with trainers and sport activists of their clubs, they also organized an information campaign for students of schools in Rzeszów on how to counteract aggression of young people in stadiums. Integration of players and fans of the rival clubs was possible thanks to organizing joins sport events - camps, training sessions and a visit to the Norwegian club - and educational events - meetings, theatre performances, talks, photo competition and a conference. An information campaign on violence in football grounds was conducted in the city and on the Internet. The project beneficiaries were over 2,500 children and youth from Rzeszów. Also young football players from Rzeszów clubs and young people aged 12-16 from 9 Rzeszów secondary schools benefited from the project implementation. Stabak IF club from Norway, the project partner, has a lot of experience in sport training and in bringing up young people. They presented best practices of combating negative behaviour in football grounds to young players and trainers from Poland."
Summary of bilateral results
"Stabak IF football club, the foreign project partner, is a well organised Norwegian sports club with a strong work ethic. The strong sports and administration culture has been built for years and today the club has a strong line-up of children and youth aged 7-19. It has a broad experience in youth coaching and life training. It offered to share its best practices with local sports clubs in the Rzeszów and Sub-Carpathia area. In Norway, aggressive, racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, intolerant behaviour is a rare phenomenon, which is a result of adequate education and guidance. It was important for our association that we could learn more about preventing/counteracting anti-social behaviour in sports arenas and follow the example of this foreign partner. The project included a training session in Norway attended by 6 coaches from Polish football clubs. They could observe and share their expertise in fighting against hate speech, aggression, xenophobia, racism in sports stadiums and develop their own approach based on the partner's best practices. The project also included a sports camp for Polish and Norwegian footballers who were coached by Poles and Norwegians. In addition, a meeting was held in Norway for 15 young Polish players. The meeting was attended by best performing camp participants. They were allowed to observe the Norwegian partner's tasks during sports events and daily operations. Community development activities performed by the club were reviewed and discussed. The visit to Norway, observing the club's day to day operations and learning about the style of youth education adopted at Stabak IF was a value added to the project by the foreign partner. Young people discussed and exchanged experience and became emissaries of the new approach to their peers. An open space conference was held to develop mechanisms of mutual support in the community of athletes. Further international co-operation with the Norwegian partner is planned. "