The ‘Late Night League’ Dublin Regional Finals will be held in Irishtown Stadium on Friday 5th December 2014 from 6.30pm.
The Regional finals will involve on average 400 young people who have played soccer every Friday night over the previous six weeks, in 25 ‘Centres’ throughout the Dublin Region and Co. Meath. Among those in attendance will be the Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan; Dr. James Reilly T.D., Minister for Children & Youth Affairs; Assistant Commissioner for Dublin, John Twomey;
The Late Night League (LNL) is a diversionary programme incorporating soccer leagues at various locations across Dublin since 2008. It is aimed at encouraging ‘at risk’ young people to participate in meaningful activities, thus reducing anti-social behaviour in disadvantaged areas. The Late Night Leagues are open to young people aged 13-21, and take place during prime anti-social hours such as Friday nights. An average of over 1200 young people participated, with approximately 50 in each league to date.
The initiative is based around the concept of using football as a tool for social inclusion and learning. Through partnership and interagency co-operation, the ‘Late Night Leagues’ aim to:
• Divert youths from Crime and anti-social behaviour
• Encourage ‘at risk’ young people to participate in meaningful activities, thus reducing anti-social behaviour
• Promote and further engage with youths and communities
The leagues are run by the FAI's co-funded Development Officers in conjunction with Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the Department for Children & Youth Affairs, Gardaí from all six Divisions in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, while Dublin Bus provide transport to and from the Regional Finals.
Late Night Leagues are run bi-annually in centres across the Region, with the top two teams and the two most ‘sporting’ teams in centres, going forward to the Regional finals. To date the league has seen an increase from the initial nine centres in 2008 to 21 in 2014 involving over 1200 participants.
National Roll Out of the Late Night Leagues
Funding received from IPB Insurance has resulted in a national roll out of the Late Night Leagues. IPB recognises the huge importance sport plays at a community level and the positive impact it has on young people lives. Through its Corporate Social Engagement (CSE) Framework it is delighted to support the FAI and the Gardaí in the expansion of the LNL programme.
In the first quarter of 2014 the FAI have run the Late Night Leagues in a total of 31 venues outside of the Dublin Region, where just under 1700 children & young people have participated locally. To date the Late Night Leagues have been run 16 Counties and have provided football to over 2900 children and young people.
Counties outside of the Dublin region include Tipperary, Carlow, Westmeath, Donegal, Galway, Wexford, Mayo, Meath, Limerick, Waterford, Cork, Kildare, Wicklow, Clare and Monaghan.
