by EDWARD LAO, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau | 01/27/2009 11:35 PM
Excitement, surprise and disbelief filled the Rizal room of the Philippine embassy in London last January 17. On that day, Pinoy football received a boost when the embassy pledged to support Philippine United, the first ever Filipino football team in the UK.
More than 50 people attended the groundbreaking event, which was attended by current members of the Philippine national football squad, hopefuls, supporters, press and enthusiasts.
The architect of Philippine United is Leo Jensen, a self-confessed Danish football fanatic whose aim is to promote and improve the level of football in the Philippines. Leo, who runs PFAUK or Philippine Football Agency UK, lives in Bolton with his Filipina wife. He has been pursuing the chance to create a British-based team for over eight years.
He said he came up with the idea during a trip to the Philippines, where he was saddened to find the national team underperforming in competitions. Rather than a shortage of ability, he attributed it to lack of unity, good training facilities and investment.
Back in the UK, Leo found it tough organizing a team without any financial support. Coupled with that, he had problems locating and mobilizing British born Pinoys with a passion for football. Then, things changed. They found him.
Philippine Generations, a charity run by second generation British Filipinos, discovered what Leo was trying to achieve and linked him to a network of football mad British Filipinos, including members of a Facebook group that brings Pinoys together for an occasional kick-about in Regents Park, London. From that, the foundations of Philippine United were formed. Read the rest of this entry »
