Football clubs are often accused of being out of touch but, as the Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation prepares to mark its 20th anniversary, Peter Barron finds out how it is helping redundant workers on Teesside

IT is nearly 50 years since Alex Jowsey went to his first Boro match as a 10-year-old boy with his dad, and he’s been a loyal supporter ever since.

But it never dawned on Alex that one day, his beloved local football club would be supporting him through one of the most challenging times of his life.

Until last year, Alex, now 59, was a mechanical fitter at the steelworks at Redcar, having spent 34 years working in the industry, through the years of British Steel, Corus and, finally, SSI.

Like the hundreds of other men who were thrown on the scrapheap, Alex found it hard. From being part of a “steel family” he suddenly found himself without a focus.

The Northern Echo: George Friend shows the Team Talk members inside the home changing rooms at the Riverside

George Friend shows the Team Talk members inside the home changing rooms at the Riverside

Then, while attending a jobs fair in Redcar, he came across a stand representing the Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation, which was promoting a new initiative called Team Talk. The aim of the project was to use the football club as a way of helping redundant men across Teesside through dark times which had left many feeling isolated and on the brink of depression.

As a Boro season ticket holder for 22 years, Alex decided to find out more and he now considers it one of the wisest moves he’s ever made. Every Thursday, he spends two hours at “Boot Room” meetings with 25 other men who are coping with being out of work.

Through the Foundation’s project, the men are given expert advice on subjects such as pensions, careers, applying for jobs, and setting up businesses. They’ve had a kick-about on the Riverside pitch and, on November 1, the Team Talk lads will embark on a fitness programme, under a coach supplied by the Foundation.

Alex is speaking during a tour of Middlesbrough FC’s Riverside stadium, during which he and other members of the group meet Boro star George Friend, who has been a key driver of the project.

“It’s been an invaluable source of support,” says Alex. “Not only has it provided practical advice but it’s also been a lot of fun. The club plays a huge part in the community and Team Talk is an example of the positive impact football can have.”

David Bradley, a shift metallurgist who was made redundant by SSI after 41 years in the steel industry, on Teesside and in his native Scotland, is just as enthusiastic about the importance of Team Talk: “We knew the end was coming with SSI but the way it was done was pretty brutal. We were called into a meeting and told that it was it – go home and don’t come back.

“At first, I found myself just sitting round the house, not really knowing what to do. I was lost. But this project has given me a sense of purpose. It’s been fantastic.”

Both Alex and David, as well as project co-ordinator Brian Rowcroft, are quick to express their gratitude to George Friend’s pivotal role in cementing the connection between the club and the community.

“It makes such a difference when someone like George gets involved,” says Alex. “It’s been very clear from the beginning that he appreciates what’s at stake.”

Indeed, Friend has established a well-deserved reputation from being not only a first-class ambassador for Middlesbrough but for football in general.

“It’s one of the things that really appeals to me about this club – the fact that it’s so in touch with the community,” he says.

It is a philosophy that stems from chairman Steve Gibson, who launched the Foundation 20 years ago when he witnessed the powerful impact of Bryan Robson’s arrival as manager. A 20th anniversary dinner will be held at the Riverside on November 11 to mark what has been achieved.

“When the steelworks closed, the chairman spoke out about the implications for the area. Everything we do in the community comes from him,” says Friend.

“Previous clubs I’ve played for haven’t had that connection with the local area but I feel part of the community at Middlesbrough. I’m not local – I’m from Devon – but I’ve always made to feel so welcome here. I feel like an adopted Teessider and that makes you want to put something back.

“A football club isn’t going to suddenly magic thousands of jobs but we can make a difference through community projects like this one. It shows why the Foundation is so important – it really can change lives.”

Claire Streeter, the foundation’s social inclusion co-ordinator, adds: “It’s hard to get men to engage but by using the football club brand, we can reach out to them. The outcome we’d all like most, of course, is for them to find jobs but just bringing them together over a cup of tea and a bacon butty, getting them talking, and giving them practical advice, means a huge amount to them.”

Alex Jowsey can vouch for that. “I can honestly say the Team Talk meetings are what I look forward to most each week,” he says.

“Aye,” adds David Bradley. “My wife looks forward to them too – cos it gets me out of the house!”