The Big Issue

Brisbane players celebrate their Best and Fairest

Players from The Big Issue’s Street Soccer Program in Brisbane celebrated their achievements at the Brisbane Best and Fairest Awards last night.

The Best and Fairest Awards celebrate the dedication and commitment of homeless and marginalised people, who are using the Street Soccer Program as a way of making positive changes in the lives.

Brisbane Roar FC player, Hyuk Su Seo, joined in the celebrations and he praised the spirit and dedication of players as they work to get their lives back on track.

Shane Cremer took out the 2008 Brisbane Best and Fairest Award, followed by runner up Steve Kleinhans and third placed Gift Dorrington.

The Most Improved Player Award went to Tyrone Makin, Best Help to Coach Award to Barry Heffernen, while the peer voted Players’ Player Award was taken out by Beau Tyson.

Best and Fairest Winner Shane Cremer joined the Street Soccer Program in 2006 and was excited to receive the award.

“I was a bit shocked. I wasn’t expecting to win anything,” Mr Cremer said.

Mr Cremer represented Australia as a Street Socceroo at the Cape Town 2006 Homeless World Cup and still enjoys making it down to the local weekly trainings at New Farm Park.

“It’s been good to meet new people, get exercise and have fun,” he said. “It’s given me something stable, being able to get out, kick a ball around and make some new friends.”

Coach of the Brisbane Street Soccer Program, Jordan Bruce, applauded the efforts of all players involved with the program.

“It was great to see everyone in their finest, a real celebration for all the players,” Mr Bruce said. “A great thing about the Street Soccer Program is giving players structure in their week. It solidified for the players that the program gives the opportunity to set and achieve goals.

“The faces of those who won awards were priceless. That bit of recognition clearly meant a lot and for everyone to share it with their teammates was quite uplifting.”

The Street Soccer Program is a community initiative of The Big Issue Australia. It uses football as a catalyst for transforming lives, by reconnecting homeless and marginalised people with the community and providing them a real sense of purpose and belonging.

Weekly training provides people who may have experienced homelessness, substance abuse or disadvantage the opportunity to get fit, make new friends and seek support and advice.

Two players from the Brisbane Street Soccer Program (Kevin Knight and Rohan Beehag) have been selected to compete in the Melbourne 2008 Homeless World Cup, taking place from 1-7 December at Federation Square and Birrarung Marr in Melbourne.