Message from Patrons. Profile-Key People. Contents. Aroz Miah - Chair, BFA UK. Zakir Khan Chief Advisor

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2 Contents Message from Patrons Profile of Key People 3 BFA Aims & Objectives 4 History of Bangladeshi Football in the UK 5 History of Sporting Bengal 6 History of Bangladesh Football Association (BFA) 6 Sporting Bengal 7,8,9 Time Line Summer League 12,13,14 Tower Hamlets Youth League 15 BFA Other Projects Awards Ceremony 18 Management Committee 19 Profile-Key People Aroz Miah - Chair, BFA UK Aroz Miah has been a trustee of BFA since He has taken up the position of Chair since He was one of the first group of a players in 1996 to play for Sporting Bengal. He has been at the forefront of all Sporting achievements on the pitch and retired in Aroz is an accountant by profession and works for Transport for London. He is also the Chair of Mohammedan Sporting Football Club and has many networks in the community. Anwar Uddin - Patron of BFA Anwar Uddin has been a supporter of BFA since its inception. Recently, he decided to become the official patron of the organisation. He is keen to use his knowledge and skills to support the development of BFA. Anwar is the only professional player of Bangladeshi origin in any tier of the English league. Anwar is currently playing at Barnet and he wants to use his professional links to set up an academy so talented Asian players can play for professional clubs. Zakir Khan Chief Advisor Zakir Khan is one of the founder members of BFA and was the first Sporting Bengal manager in Zakir has been at the forefront of football development in Tower Hamlets both as an individual and through his capacity as Head of Community Affairs at Canary Wharf Group Plc. Zakir is widely connected with local groups, professional clubs and businesses in East London

3 Tip! Aims & Objectives The BFA is committed to the following : 1To co-ordinate and manage football leagues and tournaments for and on behalf of member teams and the Bangladeshi community in the UK. 2To challenge the under-representation of Bangladeshi s in mainstream football via the BFA representative team, Sporting Bengal United, and by attending and taking part in discussions and reports commissioned by the FA and other bodies. 3To use football as a tool to enhance community members spiritually, socially, physically and mentally and divert them away from socially undesirable activities. To unite the 4 community by working in partnership with member teams, voluntary, public and private sector organisations 5To deliver projects and activities promoting healthy living, community cohesion and inclusion, community safety and good citizenship, training and employment. 6To strengthen member teams by providing capacity building support in the form of information, advice and guidance (IAG) and training. 7To recognise the contribution made by individuals and groups to Bangladeshi football in the UK. History of Bangladeshi Football in the UK The Bangladeshi community started to arrive in the UK during the 1960 s. Initially the community consisted of single men. The 70 s saw the formation of small Bangladeshi communities throughout the UK. In London, like many other immigrant communities the East End became their home. However, there were very few sporting opportunities. The 80 s saw the influx of Bangladeshi families. This resulted in a large Bangladeshi youth population and organisations were formed to cater for the needs of those young people. Through this, football teams began to be established. The 90 s saw the development of these teams as they ventured into Sunday League football. The Asian League offered an opportunity for these teams to compete against each other. This resulted in an expansion of the number of teams in the community. Picture from the past 04 05

4 History of Sporting Bengal Sporting Bengal Utd FC It all began with I a football tour to Bangladesh in 1996 by a group of the best Bangladeshi players in London. There was realisation that talent was being wasted with the divisions that existed and that nothing had been achieved by individual teams. It was agreed that a selective team, consisting of all the best players in the community would form a Sporting Bengal FC. from grassroots to professional football Sporting Bengal United FC is one of the groundbreaking and pioneering community football clubs in the UK. It has been instrumental in challenging underrepresentation of Asian footballers in the mainstream football. Its progress has been well documented by national, regional and local media and has been consulted by the FA and Kick It out on numerous occasions on the whole Asians in Football question. The team was started by a group of talented Bangladeshi footballers and it rose through the ranks of Sunday league football to intermediate and to semi-professional status in 8 years. Sporting Bengal was one of 2 Asian teams to gain semi-professional status in The biggest achievement to date was playing in the FA Cup in 2005, the first of two Asian teams to do that in the cups history. Bangladesh Football Association (BFA) The formation of Sporting Bengal required the need for coordination. It was further decided that a regulating body should be set up to co-ordinate the future of football within the East London community. This regulating body came in the shape of the Bangladesh Football Association (BFA), also established in Since then, the BFA has been increasing its activities and developing initiatives at a tremendous pace. There are currently 40 teams who are members of BFA. The current committee consists of 15 members, each of whom represents a different member club. We feel that this method provides good representation and ensures that the interests of the community are at the forefront of decision making. Although we have adopted the name Bangladesh Football Association, we encourage all members of the community to actively participate in our provisions. Working together with various partners, funders and sponsors, the BFA want to bring together the Asian community through sporting activities, primarily football. We are keen on taking a holistic approach so that an individual in our community, regardless of their age, gender, ethnic background or locality can feel part of the bigger sporting family through selfempowerment

5 Sporting Bengal United Achievements so far The progress of Sporting Bengal has encouraged many Asian teams across the country to move up the football pyramid. Sporting Bengal is the oldest and most well known of BFA projects. The team played in the Kent Senior Football League from 2003/2004 to 2010/2011 season. In 2011/2012 season Sporting Bengal entered the Essex Senior Football League. It is representative side of BFA and made up of players that play in the BFA Summer league. It recruits from the community and gives opportunity to local players to play at the highest level. The team is all inclusive and attracts over 50 players a season from all nationality and ethnic backgrounds. Its main purpose is to challenge the under-representation of Asian footballers in mainstream football Asian League three years in succession Asian League Cup winners two years in succession 1998 Appeared in Nike advert in Hackney Marshes 1998 Toured Bangladesh, playing under 16 and 19 national sides 1999 Entered the London Intermediate League 2000 Sporting Bengal hosts Dhaka Mohammedan SC UK tour Sporting Bengal lost Sporting Bengal hosts Dhaka Abahani Limited UK tour, and Sporting Bengal won Sporting players represent Bangladesh in the UK Inner City world Cup and become UK Bangladeshi football champions two years in succession 2002 UK Asian football champions - held at Ibrox Stadium 2002/03 Toured Bangladesh, losing 2-1 to national team UK Asian Football - held at Celtic park 2003 Granted senior status by the London Football Association 2003 Elected to the semi-professional Kent Senior League 2004 Accepted into the FA Vase competition 2004 Accepted into the FA Cup competition 2005 Sporting Bengal, one of two Asian teams plays in the famous FA Cup 2009 UK Asian football champions 09

6 Timeline Sporting Bengal Formed Summer League started with 8 teams Sporting Bengal appear in Nike Advert Sporting Bengal players represent Bangladesh in the UK inner city world cup and become champions UK Asian football champions for the first time- held at Ibrox Stadium Granted senior status by the London Football Association, elected to Semiprofessional Kent Senior Football League Registered as a charity BFA have first full time paid employee and premises GG2 Football in the Community Award winner presented by Chelsea FC Summer League has 46 teams, players, over 50 nationalities play in the league Tower Hamlets Third Sector Excellence award winner for Improving Sports & Recreation Services Sir Trevor Brooking and David Gold from West Ham attend BFA awards ceremony BFA Formed Asian League Asian League Asian League Cup Winners Asian League Summer League Cup introduced UK Bangladeshi Football UK Bangladeshi Football UK Asian Football at Celtic Park Stadium Sporting Bengal, one of two Asian teams plays in the famous FA Cup Channel S Best Community Organisation awards winner Achieved Matrix and Reach quality standards BFA sends 2 Bangladeshi children to be mascots at 2 separate England games Anwar Uddin the only Bangladeshi professional footballer becomes BFA patron Asian League Cup Winners A unified youth league covering all age groups created for the first time in Tower Hamlets in partnership with SNC

7 Summer League 40 teams, 4 divisions and over 1000 players The Summer League is one of the groundbreaking and pioneering football projects in the UK. It has been running since It started with 8 teams but has grown and now has 40 teams, 4 divisions and over 1000 players participate every week. It is the first ever Summer League in London and possibly in the UK. The Summer league is unique because its played in the summer months from May to August every year. It is played in one venue and all the teams play on the same day. The teams don t have to do anything apart from come and play and enjoy the day. It is the only amateur league where you have 3 officials. The main aim of the Summer League was and still is to provide diversionary activities for local young people during the holiday period. Many were getting into anti-social behaviour, petty crime, drugs and vandalism. It was also to unify the community and bring the young people together as there were high incidents of gang violence between the different estates. Today young people look forward to the Summer League and have taken positions of responsibility as coaches, managers and secretary of their teams. The league has also increased community cohesion as more than 40 different ethnic groups participated in

8 Relax Natum vere numenis simus, od qui Sonali Bank Cup The Summer League also organises a league cup competition which is called the Sonali Bank Cup. Every year 32 team from the league participate in the cup competition. The final is watched by more than 300 people every year at Mile End Stadium. Tower Hamlets Youth League The Bangladesh Football Association and Sports Network Council have come together to organise an unified youth football league for Tower Hamlets covering all the age groups from 10 to 18 year olds. Whilst both organisations have been running youth leagues in the borough, they have come to the consensus that working together on one football league would be best for the development of youth football in the borough. The new league is called Tower Hamlets Youth League and the league started in October The league is played in the winter and summer. The league attracts on average 35 teams per year and over 500 players. The aim of the league is to provide structured football for all the young people, encourage participation in sports, promote healthy living, keep young people occupied in positive activities and away from anti-social behaviour, gang violence and petty crime. The other aim is to empower young people and support their development through training and volunteering opportunities for the older youths

9 Other Projects Volunteering Project BFA offers local young people and adults to volunteer in a range of exciting opportunities to gain knowledge, skills and experience to move closer to paid employment, further education and training. We offer volunteering in office admin, communication, finance, project co-ordinating, event organising, photography, website updating, football coaching, youth working and many other roles. We cover all costs associated with volunteering and provide both accredited and nonaccredited courses for young people. Volunteering provides valuable work experience to young people who have never worked before. It improves their confidence and motivates them to fulfil their true potential in life. Many young people gain qualifications, pick up valuable like and employment skills and make good progression later on. Training and Employment support We deliver various projects to support young people into further education, training and work. We deliver both accredited and non-accredited training courses and awards to help young people gain their first qualification. We usually deliver FA Level 1 course, Community Sports Leaders Award, Introduction to Youth Work, Retail Customer Care, First Aid at Work and many other short courses. Alongside the training we provide information, advice and guidance (IAG) sessions and create individual action plans for young people to have direction in life. We encourage young people to take up opportunities with other agencies i.e. apprenticeships, college courses, etc. We also run a job club once a week and provide support with job search, CV s and interview techniques. We provide help with filling in application forms and provide reference where needed. UK Bangladeshi hip The aim of the tournament is to highlight the talent amongst the Bangladeshi community in the UK and to unite the UK Bangladeshi community using football. The tournament has been held in various locations in England since 2001, i.e. Birmingham, Oldham, Milton Keynes and of course London, giving teams the opportunity to organise their own tournament and play host to teams coming from other parts of the country. The tournament gives everyone the opportunity to meet people from other parts of the UK, share experiences and explore opportunities of working in partnership. We hope this tradition continues and one day we have teams from all parts of the country participating in the championship. Women and Girls Projects BFA delivers various women and girls projects and activities during the year. We deliver free weekly exercise and sports sessions, football tournaments, free gym sessions, accredited and non-accredited training courses, leadership courses and workshops, offer volunteering opportunities and information, advice and guidance support. Gun, Gang and Knife Crime Project BFA has been delivering a targeted project to educate younger children between year olds about the danger of gang culture and violence. We have been delivering workshops on gun and knife crime in specific areas of Tower Hamlets. With older youths who are NEET, at risk of joining a gang or are already in a loose gang, involved in criminal activities, gang violence and ex-offenders we The aim is to offer young women and girls the same opportunity to participate in sport as the men and boys. It is also, to develop role models and leaders who could break down cultural barriers and promote sport in the community. Tahmina Begum First Female Bangladeshi Referee and Level 1 FA Coach are trying to change their outlook on life and work through mentoring, advice and guidance and positive activities. We offer young people access to accredited training courses, development workshops and support with job search, CV writing and job application forms. We have helped young people to go back to education and apprenticeship programmes. Summer Project During the summer holidays BFA usually organises a summer project for local children in different parts of Tower Hamlets. The project offers various outdoor sports, football, swimming, canoeing/ kayaking and bowling & cinema trip. The project also offers accredited and non-accredited courses.

10 Ovidelis remoditius Awards Ceremony Every year BFA organises a gala Awards Ceremony to recognise the sporting excellence and personal achievement of young people from the different BFA projects. The event attracts 500 people, including distinguished guests from the world of football, politics, celebrities and business. Past guests included Sir Trevor Brooking and David Gold, Co-chair of West Ham, Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, Anwar Uddin, Barnet FC, High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Olympic athletes and many other guests. The awards ceremony recognises winning teams from the Summer league, Tower Hamlets Youth league, volunteers, training and course attendees, outstanding achievers and contributors, hall of fame and lifetime achievement winners.. Management Committee Together the BFA management committee has vast experience, knowledge and skills to run a charity successfully. The committee is made up of 15 people elected from the 40 BFA member teams. The Chair Aroz Miah is an accountant by profession and has been a user of BFA service. Similarly, the Secretary is a Civil Servant and the Treasurer is a local authority employee. All 3 run their own small Aroz Miah Kolil Miah Jamal Hussain Nasyar Miah Akrom Miah Mahbub Hussain Tarik Ahmed Manik Miah Shanur Miah Naz Hussain Abdal Ahmed Abdul Mahboob Khayrul Alam Foisol Uddin Noor Uddin Chairperson Vice Chairperson Secretary Assistant Secretary Treasurer Press and Publicity Youth Development charities and voluntary organisations. The other members come from youth work background,, NHS, voluntary sector, football development and the private business sector. Together they bring a wealth of knowledge and all of them have been past BFA service users and many live locally to understand the needs of the community and the young people. Mohammedan Sporting Club Abahoni FC East One FC West Ham FC SYA Mohammedan Sporting Club SOUL FC Elite Youth Newark Youth London Bromley by Bow FC Elite Youth Island FC Shadwell FC Shadwell Youth BYM 18

11 Bangladesh Football Association (UK) Unit G3 Whitechapel Centre 85 Myrdle Street London E1 1HL Charity No: