If one were to visit the Freetown in Sierra Leone then they most likely would hear, proudly, what Manchester City F.C. is all about. They would hear about a football club that changed the lives of many that are living in dire conditions.

It all began with Armani Kamara. Armani was selling his wares on the beaches of Freetown. While doing this, he happened to meet a British national who was an avid Manchester City fan. Armani came up with the idea of starting a support club within Freetown for the Manchester City UK. Football club. This decision led to the building of a youth team and a senior team. Both the teams quickly got involved in playing with local leagues.

To assist this support group, the Manchester based league donated their season kits from the years 2003-2004. This was a big boost to the morale of the support team and they showed this by winning the first local cup competition. Their passion and diligence didn’t end there because within a four-year span, this support club went on to enjoy their first national honor in 2008 in a mere four years of their game play. They were proud of being the winner of the Sierra Leone FA Youth Cup.

While the young generation was full of zest for their game play, the senior division of the support club on the surface may have appeared a little more laid back and had a tendency of not attending the games that were scheduled away from home. As a result of this, they were eventually suspended. This was not from lack of enthusiasm, but was due to the high expense of having to travel to games that could not be reached by foot. This was most unfortunate because they had managed to enter the national league as a result of their hard work and skills, but this problem was later solved when they received a donation in the form of a Toyota Coaster mini bus.

For football enthusiasts, they will have no hesitation in telling you about the Manchester City F.C. as their history goes way back to 1880s. They were originally known as the St Mark’s, then following this, they were named the Ardwick Association Football Club to eventually be known as the Manchester City F.C. by 1894.

Those who have followed this club, they will note that their most famous time period was in the 1960s and the beginning of the 1970’s, because during this time period they got recognition for winning several titles and events. In 1981, things turned for the worst and they lost the FA Cup final which sent them on a downward spiral for the next several years. Things eventually turned around for the club when they were sold in 2008 and then went on to become one of the wealthiest football clubs in the world. The City of Manchester boasts proudly of this football club and has every right to do so.

Among the many major titles and events they have held in recent years, they are recognised for the Premier League of 2012 and 2014. Overall, looking at the wealth of football leagues worldwide, the Manchester City F.C. is rated as the fifth richest league in the world.

As proud as what the fans are of the Manchester City F.C., this club is equally proud of their support team which is the Manchester City F.C. Sierra Leone Branch. This support team wears the colors of the head team and does so with pride.

Throughout the years, there have been many great football players that have participated in the Manchester City F.C. with some being inducted into the Manchester City Hall of Fame, as well as the National Football Museum Hall of Fame as well as several others. Some of these players were also part of international leagues namely World Cup and Euro Cup. You can read about this year’s Euro edition in this blog Unibet Euro.

One may think that a supporter club like the Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch’s main focus will be simply enjoying the game of football, but for those who are participating in this support club, it goes much further than this.

To begin with being a player for the Manchester City F.C. Sierra Leone Branch, it gives them a sense of pride. As they develop their skills and portray these in their game play, they feel a sense of accomplishment. It helps to provide the players a sense of purpose.

Most importantly, it builds their self-worth by allowing them to receive a very small amount of pay as a player in this football club. They only get about 80 pence per game but this very small amount can make a world of difference to them, as many of the players have no other source of income.

What people don’t realise is that many of the players are virtually homeless and have no form of employment. They are living day by day in destitute conditions. The only bright spot in their day is knowing that they are part of Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch player and this gives them the courage to go on.

These players know that they are not alone in their troubles and while they may not have money or a home to go to, they have each other. If there ever was a perfect example of what the value of a team is to each other then this would be it.

Without having the football league to participate in, the existence of these players would be totally bleak, so for them, the existence of this support team is having a major impact on their lives. This holds true for both the young and the senior teams of the Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch.

Sierra Leone is a beautiful name for a region but for those who visit the place, they soon become very much aware of the rampant poverty that exists here. At first glance, one will immediately notice the young people mulling the streets, but what no one realise is that many of these young people will not live beyond the age of thirty-eight. The capital city is Freetown and this region has been the victim of an eleven-year-old civil war. One of the most positive thing to happen here for many of the locals was the inception of the Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch. There were several key people and a chain of events that brought this support club into existence.

Tony Griffiths

A chance meeting with a young Freetown business man named Armani Sheku Kamara who had a sincere passion for Premier Football, and Tony ended up giving him a City tee shirt. When Tony returned to the UK, he shared the story of Armani’s passion with other avid fans.

Howard Burr and Alex Channon

Both of these gentlemen were secretaries of the two respective branches and were inspired by the experience that Tony had with Armani. These two gents gathered up several City shirts that were kindly donated by fans. To further this, they encouraged the Club to become involved.

Armani Sheku Kamara

Armani became instrumental in forming the Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch.

The Club – Gary Cook and Paul Lake.

The Club became pro-active and donated a full kit to this new support team in Freetown.

Phuket Branch

The branch replaced the old shirts that the team had from 2003 with both a home and away kit.

The Group

The group that was formed to support the Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch solved the problem of transportation to games in far away places by raising enough money to buy a small coach.

Barclay Signs in Stockport

At no cost to the support team, this company provided the sponsorship logos.

Anyone who knows anything about The Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone support team will be the first to tell you that this is an enthusiastic group that just don’t sit back waiting for handouts. Both the youth and the senior teams have worked very hard at making a name for themselves as a football club, and have been diligent at putting their own measures in place to be as self-supportive as possible. It must be remembered that Sierra Leone and Freetown is a poverty stricken locale.

In the beginning, as dedicated as what the senior team was to their game, they had to miss many games that were organised far and away that eventually led to their suspension. It soon became apparent that the issue was not a lack of interest in the games, but that it was the cost involved in traveling to these games. A lot of players had no source of income and simply could not deal with these costs.

Fortunately, a group of interested parties and fans back in Manchester UK immediately recognised the plight of the support team, and through joint efforts were able to raise enough money to buy a coach for the team. This was a world wide effort by fans and they should be highly commended for their efforts and dedication.

The Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch took on their responsibility of putting forth every effort to be proactive in their own fund raising ventures, and the bus gave them the perfect opportunity to do this. They are now using the bus as a paid for hire in the city which helps them raise money.

This truly is a success story and one that should be used as an example of what team work truly can accomplish. Here, a large group of people, were put together to make something positive happen, and an event that held a great deal of importance in so many ways.

Learning more about The Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Branch Team is very interesting, but gaining a little insight into some of the players that make up this team sheds a whole new light on just how important this support team is to Freetown.

Santagi Kargbo

Santagi was discovered by Armani when Santagi was enjoying his favourite past time of playing street football. He was invited to be a part of the Man City youth team which he did and eventually moved up to the senior team. Santagi was an orphan and the opportunity to be a part of the team was of great value to him. His football position was that of a defender. His involvement in the support team gave him a chance to go back to school.

James Conteh

Holding the position of first choice as a goal keeper for the support club is something that James is proud of. He sees his involvement with the team as an inspiration for his future endeavors.

These are just two examples of the type of players that make up the support team. It gives a very clear picture as to just how critically important this support club has been not only to these players, but to the team aa well. Every player has to face his fair share of hardships, but when they come together to play the game they love so much, it gives them a chance to escape from material pleasures. Plus, the involvement for many has led them to a brighter future with one that is full of motivation and determination.

For many that live in countries like the UK, US, and Canada, the value that a sport like football has is often taken for granted. It is only by becoming aware of what kind of impact football can have on a global level that it allows one to see its real value.

If you have become familiar with the importance of the Manchester City F.C. – Sierra Leone Support team then no doubt you have a keen interest in it. Perhaps this is leading you to think of ways you could be of help? Here are a few suggestions.

When you visit Sierra Leone

If you happen to be a traveller then perhaps Sierra Leone will be one of your destinations on your list. If so, then upon visiting this place, do make a point to travel in the mini bus. This is the bus that the support team owns and they are using it as part of their fund raising activity. The money they charge for the use of the bus goes directly to their teams and helps them to purchase many different items they need for the team, helping them to be more self-supportive. What may seem like a simple task such as using the mini bus to you, is a very important source of income for the team.

Donations

If a trip to Sierra Leone is not in the works for, you don’t be too disappointed as you still have an opportunity to support them. You can do so through monetary donations or even through new and used football equipment as well as other items like educational materials.

Spread the Word

Another very effective way to be of help to the team members is by spreading the word. By informing others as to the importance of a support team such as this, will raise awareness about them which they really need to continue on with their game. You can do this by talking to your sports buddies about this amazing Man City team and inform them as to how the team came about and how supportive the Manchester City UK team is of them. Share the story about the bus with them, and this may encourage them to become involved in some way.

There is no doubt that football fans are one of the most devoted and enthusiastic sports supporters that there are. This holds true for the Man City fans who support Manchester City Football Club. To determine just how devoted they are, it only takes a quick visit to their site. It is technically a forum but it is an impressive one, and is not just one of your regular run of the mill type of forum either that you may be used to on the internet.

Originally, a forum board was started in 1999 which eventually was shut down but fans were not going to go without an online meeting place, and therefore this new forum was created. Some of the things that this forum boasts of are how busy it is and how they are able to attract interaction from fans around the world.

Not only is this a place for enthusiastic fans to share their thoughts and opinions, it’s also a place where they can share or find a great deal of information. For example, they can get match day threads and reports.

Every forum needs to have a way to support itself and this one takes pride in their innovative approaches. While they could have appealed for donations, they have decided to open up a shop section where they have teamed up with a retro football shirt seller, which is really a nifty idea. For those who are collectors or are looking for some great football merchandise, this is a great opportunity.

When it comes to news, football patriots will not want to miss what is going on the Man City Fan site. They have shared some great posts. For those fans who want to feel like they are part of the Manchester City F.C., becoming a part of this fan club will allow them to enjoy that feeling.