Remember the last time you tried to explain the off-side rule with a little row of coins and a beer mat? Remember biting your tongue when they said it was too complicated?
There’s no need to drive yourself up the wall when sorting your starting eleven. One of the best things about the beautiful game is that it’s a language spoken the world over. Billions of people play, eat, drink and speak football – including refugees in your community.
So next time you fancy a kick-around get in touch with your local refugee community group, get hold of a ball and start flaunting your back flicks.
It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, keep your skills polished and gain a greater understanding of other cultures. Not to mention the joy of discovering the Farsi for "22 men kick a ball around for 90 minutes and then the Germans win"!
Of course, it’s not just football that brings people together. Play cricket, tennis, rugby, golf, hockey, bowling, netball, caber-tossing, curling, extreme ironing… whatever takes your fancy!
