Football is such a simple game and brings so much pleasure to so many people around the world that sometimes the fun aspect gets lost in the fog.

Bored and flicking around the myriad of TV channels now on offer I recently came across a programme that had just started and, for a change, it kept my interest. It helped that it involved football but it was more the opening line that grabbed me:

"It all started a couple of years ago.  I was stuck in an office doing my best to build a career. Then I went on holiday with my wife to Malawi in South East Africa . We watched a local football match and saw how the kids struggled to play with a punctured ball. Immediately I hatched a plan".

That was how Paul Clarke kick started (pardon the pun) the project The Great Football Giveaway

click here for  a youtube link.

His immediate strap line was "Give me £10 and I'll personally deliver a football into the hands of a child in Malawi". Three months later "I had a container of over 3,000 balls to bring to life my rather romantic idea of stopping and randomly giving balls out to kids on the way" he explained.

He adds "I've always loved football and have seen it as one of life's simple pleasures. This project was all about giving less fortunate kids something simple and fun. It was football stripped of all its money, marketing and celebrity".

You may think this sounds a little naïve and over simplistic but go to YouTube and enter the great football giveaway and watch for yourself. It's a story that would move everyone.

The first ball Paul and his volunteer team gave away when he returned to Malawi was to five youngsters playing in a river. The look of first shock and then delight when they realised they had a real football to play with  was a pleasure to watch and made you want to see the story unfold.

Not every ball was given away randomly; many schools were grateful  recipients and can testify how attendance actually increased once youngsters knew they could play football with a real leather ball if they  attended classes.

Angola with its recent civil war history was next on the campaign trail, the catch phrase this time was "replacing bombs with balls" - avoiding  mine fields was probably not something Paul had considered when he hatched  that life-changing plan.

Uganda followed three months ago and, as you read this article, Paul is just three months away from repeating the concept in Zambia. The team are also in the early stages of planning to extend the model to Central America and light up the faces of  Nicaraguan youngsters. Even with a land mass less than the size of New York State access through rain forests and dry forests will pose new challenges.

The concept is incredibly simple. I like the fact that a football can't solve illness, poverty or end wars but it can light up the faces of kids who had a raw deal in life.

The team ask that "Next time you go to countries where you feel something like this can make a difference, then do something about it. Pack yourself a bag of balls and take them with you. You'll see for yourself how sport can be used as a real force for good. It really is that simple!"

If the thought of a hefty excess baggage charge doesn't appeal log on to

Just click on link above then click on Give a Ball - your £10 will pay for delivery of a football to wherever the project is visiting next.

Let's see if Chesterfield supporters get as excited about it all as I did.  

I've recently spoken to Paul and he explained that the team are looking  for volunteers to head up future projects - you pick the country you want  to go to, fundraise, organise the project logistics, put a team of volunteers together and actually go and hand deliver every single ball - obviously with the advice and back up of experienced team members.

Click on the web site to make contact - wouldn't it be great if we were able to add a few smiles to kids around the world that can only dream of our sort of lifestyle.

By Howard Borrell