David started out life in 1980s Govan as a bright kid who loved playing football. Both in the classroom and on the pitch, David was happy and thriving. Home life, however, was another story. His dad’s alcoholism was tearing the family apart. David was 13 when his parents split and he was given the option of which parent to live with. Driven by guilt, and despite his better judgement, he chose to stay with his father.

It was at this time that David found himself without the structure that his family life had given him. His father’s addiction prevented David from getting the routine and consistency he needed to flourish. Without this, his performance at school started to falter and he began making poor decisions to help his dad make ends meet.

Eventually, his father lost his home and moved in with David’s uncle, whilst David was forced to stay between friends’ couches. During this time, David sadly learned that his father had passed away from his illness. Without the structure in his life to keep him moving forward, his grief triggered a deeper plummet. Instead of seeking comfort from friends and family, he shut himself away and sought solace from alcohol. Slowly, David’s relationships broke down and he was without a support network.

Over the next couple of years, David worked as a football coach and youth worker, and volunteered for The Big Issue. In 2006, he began managing the Scotland team for the Homeless World Cup, and led the team to victory in 2007. 

Following this, David began to reflect on his experience playing in and managing the Homeless World Cup team. He realised that the change didn’t happen when the competition kicked off, it really began months earlier. It was at the training sessions where players were getting structure, building relationships and finding hope. It was here, on rainy evenings on an ordinary football pitch in Glasgow, that lives were being changed for the better. An idea struck him - if there were more football sessions on more rainy evenings across more of Scotland, the amount of lives being changed could soar. So, in 2009 with a grant of exactly £3,335, Street Soccer was born. 

It wasn’t long before things kicked off - the impact David was creating was immediate: the funding came rolling in and so did the players. Street Soccer’s players-always-come-first approach saw his team build unprecedented levels of trust with his community. Unlike the transactional relationships these socially disadvantaged groups were used to facing, Street Soccer offered genuine relationships built on mutual respect and understanding.

The influence of the relationships and structure that Street Soccer has offered its players are beyond what David had imagined. Whether it was reconnecting with family, securing a job, finding a home, achieving sobriety, staying out of prison… the impact, albeit different for every player, is resoundingly life-changing. 

Today, Street Soccer has engaged over 25,000 players, supporting them to make positive steps forward, both on and off the pitch. With an open door policy, it provides a safety net for those who usually have nothing to fall back on, giving them the courage to step out of their comfort zone and improve their situations. “Sometimes people go off and do their thing which is great, but sometimes something will happen and they need to come back. Street Soccer’s door never closes. We’re always there. It allows people to take their next steps with confidence.”

Many might think David would qualify his wins in scoreboards, but really he measures them in relationships. The friendships he’s helped to kindle, the mentorships he’s had a hand in creating, the support networks he’s helped to build. Even the relationships he encourages players to build with themselves. That’s what David believes can really change lives. Football is just the catalyst. “It’s never about the football, it’s about the relationships and confidence that it helps people build.”