![10 THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH · 19-25 SEPTEMBER 2011
streetlifeVENDOR AND HOMELESSNESS NEWS
Alhambra Theatre, Morley St, Bradford (www.bigissueinthenorth.com, go to “Find your vendor”)
Google Maps 2011
Find your vendor in... Bradford
Three years ago Dave Moreton
couldn’t get out of bed. He
could barely move due to leg
ulcers and his lungs were
working to just 30 per cent
capacity.
“I was injecting heroin and
crack cocaine,” he says. “Over
30 years on and off since I was
15.”
And there was worse news to
come. Eric Houghton, a worker
at Bosco House hostel in Bootle,
was handed the unenviable task
of delivering a long-term
diagnosis.
Moreton says: “He basically
said that from the state of my
legs I wasn’t going to make it
unless I stopped. I cried, to be
honest with you – I wasn’t
expecting it.”
That was Moreton’s wake-up
call, the spark that led to last
week’s second Homeless Games
at Wavertree Tennis Centre,
where Olympic
superheavyweight boxer David
Games of life
“He was always going on
about the football but I’m sick of
football. I can’t stand it. So he
said: ‘OK, let’s do something
else like the Olympics.’ And
that’s how we got started.”
There were about a dozen
sports events over two days,
including table tennis, pool,
darts, speed climbing and, of
course, football, with stalls
offering advice on healthy
eating and access to training and
education courses.
Fittingly, this year’s event was
held just a couple of miles from
the site of the Liverpool
Olympian Games, organised by
the gentlemen-only Liverpool
Athletics Society in the 1860s.
“They knew back then about
sport and health and motivating
yourself,” says Houghton. “It
was football for me, for some
people it’s religion.
“But it’s not just about sport –
it’s about engaging people and
breaking down barriers.
“Obviously we’d like some
backing but not if someone
came in next year and said
they’d take it off our hands. I’m
in it because I’ve been there and
I know it works for people.”
Moreton’s health has been
improving steadily since that
life-changing day at Bosco
House. “I’ve got 78 per cent lung
capacity now. I haven’t got the
balance to join in the Games but
I go for a walk every day.
“The Games have worked
immensely for me. We are
looking at something bigger and
better next year, making it
global. The council gave us the
venue this year and they’ve
promised more involvement
next time.
“You’ve just got to get people
involved. Eric has played a great
part in my recuperation. I don’t
know what I would have done
without him and now I’ve got a
whole new circle of friends.”
Organising the Homeless Games in Liverpool
has helped Dave Moreton turn his life around,
reports Dave Booth
Sporting partners: Moreton and Houghton. Photo: Jacob Hickey
Price was among the 500 people
who turned up to show their
support.
Moreton, originally from
Runcorn, adds: “I’ve worked
most of my life, on the roads
putting out cones and driving
wagons.
“I was on methadone so I was
managing it but then I started
on crack again and I split up
from my wife. But we’re talking
now and I get to see the kids on
a regular basis [Moreton has
two daughters, aged 20 and 16].
They’re glad to see me off the
drugs.”
Houghton, a former alcoholic,
had been through his own
experience of recovery, being
picked as England captain at the
first Homeless Football World
Cup in Austria in 2003.
“Eric had gone through
similar things and we related in
that way,” says Moreton. “For
him it was the drink and with
me it was drugs.
“We are looking at
something bigger
and better next
year.”
BITN 894_10 (Street Life):BITN Iss 740 15/9/11 18:50 Page 10](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/d87c8451-0a8d-4f1f-b22c-63d40143eab0-160125201516/85/Homeless-Games-Published-1-320.jpg)
Homeless Games:Published
- 1. 10 THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH · 19-25 SEPTEMBER 2011 streetlifeVENDOR AND HOMELESSNESS NEWS Alhambra Theatre, Morley St, Bradford (www.bigissueinthenorth.com, go to “Find your vendor”) Google Maps 2011 Find your vendor in... Bradford Three years ago Dave Moreton couldn’t get out of bed. He could barely move due to leg ulcers and his lungs were working to just 30 per cent capacity. “I was injecting heroin and crack cocaine,” he says. “Over 30 years on and off since I was 15.” And there was worse news to come. Eric Houghton, a worker at Bosco House hostel in Bootle, was handed the unenviable task of delivering a long-term diagnosis. Moreton says: “He basically said that from the state of my legs I wasn’t going to make it unless I stopped. I cried, to be honest with you – I wasn’t expecting it.” That was Moreton’s wake-up call, the spark that led to last week’s second Homeless Games at Wavertree Tennis Centre, where Olympic superheavyweight boxer David Games of life “He was always going on about the football but I’m sick of football. I can’t stand it. So he said: ‘OK, let’s do something else like the Olympics.’ And that’s how we got started.” There were about a dozen sports events over two days, including table tennis, pool, darts, speed climbing and, of course, football, with stalls offering advice on healthy eating and access to training and education courses. Fittingly, this year’s event was held just a couple of miles from the site of the Liverpool Olympian Games, organised by the gentlemen-only Liverpool Athletics Society in the 1860s. “They knew back then about sport and health and motivating yourself,” says Houghton. “It was football for me, for some people it’s religion. “But it’s not just about sport – it’s about engaging people and breaking down barriers. “Obviously we’d like some backing but not if someone came in next year and said they’d take it off our hands. I’m in it because I’ve been there and I know it works for people.” Moreton’s health has been improving steadily since that life-changing day at Bosco House. “I’ve got 78 per cent lung capacity now. I haven’t got the balance to join in the Games but I go for a walk every day. “The Games have worked immensely for me. We are looking at something bigger and better next year, making it global. The council gave us the venue this year and they’ve promised more involvement next time. “You’ve just got to get people involved. Eric has played a great part in my recuperation. I don’t know what I would have done without him and now I’ve got a whole new circle of friends.” Organising the Homeless Games in Liverpool has helped Dave Moreton turn his life around, reports Dave Booth Sporting partners: Moreton and Houghton. Photo: Jacob Hickey Price was among the 500 people who turned up to show their support. Moreton, originally from Runcorn, adds: “I’ve worked most of my life, on the roads putting out cones and driving wagons. “I was on methadone so I was managing it but then I started on crack again and I split up from my wife. But we’re talking now and I get to see the kids on a regular basis [Moreton has two daughters, aged 20 and 16]. They’re glad to see me off the drugs.” Houghton, a former alcoholic, had been through his own experience of recovery, being picked as England captain at the first Homeless Football World Cup in Austria in 2003. “Eric had gone through similar things and we related in that way,” says Moreton. “For him it was the drink and with me it was drugs. “We are looking at something bigger and better next year.” BITN 894_10 (Street Life):BITN Iss 740 15/9/11 18:50 Page 10