The future looks horrific. I fear more people will be without a home after fallout from pandemic
LOU MACARI had 46 people round for Christmas dinner.
But the former Scottish international is worried that the guest list next year will be a lot bigger.
Macari, 71, the midfielder who always punched above his weight for Celtic and Manchester United, has spent the last four years giving the homeless people of Stoke- on-Trent food, clothes, and a place to stay – as well as hope.
Drug addiction is a common theme among the people who sat down to a turkey feast with all the trimmings at the Macari Centre in Hanley.
And while Macari reacted to the unique dangers caused by the coronavirus by bringing 48 individual ‘glamping’ pods into the converted industrial unit on Regent Road, he is already planning to cater for those who are likely to lose their homes when the economic ramifications of the Covid pandemic really kick in.
“It’s fair to say that most of the people who are staying with us at the moment have always had pretty chaotic lives,” said Macari.
“Living rough on the streets had become a lifestyle for them and sometimes it can feel like mission impossible to get them clean because drug use has ruled their lives for years.
“But while drugs are without doubt the biggest issue we are faced with at the centre, it’s also true that there are people with us who used to lead pretty stable lives.
“They have lost jobs, lost their homes, their marriage or relationship might have ended – and they had nowhere to go apart from a shop doorway.
“My worry is that the economic problems we are going to face after the pandemic are going to lead to job losses and more and more people finding themselves without a home.
“We are lucky at the moment, we have the space to help more people than are already staying with us.
“But the future does look pretty horrific – and the only thing we can promise is we’ll always do whatever we can to help people who have fallen on hard times.”
Macari, who has lived in Stoke since twice managing the city’s club in the early 1990s, is full of admiration for the work football is doing to help those in need.
Manchester
United striker
Marcus
Rashford
(right) has forced the government into a U-turn in his efforts to win free school meals for kids from poorer backgrounds.
And Premier League captains led a campaign to give financial support to the NHS during the first wave of the pandemic.
But Macari feels that football could do more. He said: “I’m not sure I could have done what I’ve done, or Marcus Rashford could have done what he’s done, if it wasn’t for football.
“I made contacts as a player and a manager who I was able to call on for help when we wanted to open the centre. The League Managers’ Association recently provided us with 48 televisions – enough for every pod.
“Last Christmas, a man walked in off the street and gave us a cheque for £5,000.
“The day before Christmas Eve, a firm from Manchester handed us £3,000.
“We’ve got enough money and clothes at the moment because people have been so generous – and we were given so many turkeys for Christmas we could have opened our doors to a lot more people if it had not been for social distancing.
“That is because I played for Manchester United and Celtic and was the manager of Stoke. I’m not saying the game has a responsibility to feed, clothe and house people, but being a footballer is the best job in the world. Nothing beats playing in front of 60,000 fans at Old Trafford or Celtic Park.
“And it isn’t a job that tires you out – despite what players say about the fixture schedule.
“I worked from 10am to 1pm for 20 years as a player and then had the rest of the day to do what I wanted.
“But four years ago I saw homeless people living on the streets of Stoke and I just thought, ‘ What have I ever done to help anyone?’
“I’m 71 now and I am probably working as hard as I’ve ever done in my life.”