Saturday, December 16, 2006

Anti-knives city football match

Steven Lennon Above

died after being stabbed twice

A memorial football match is to be held in Edinburgh in a bid to "red-card" the carrying of knives on the streets.

The Steven Lennon Memorial football match will kick off at 1400 GMT on Saturday at the Ricarton campus of Heriot Watt University.

Teams from North Sighthill and Dumbryden areas of Edinburgh will play in memory of Steven, 17, who died in July 2005 after he was stabbed.

The game is hoped to attract a large crowd.

The event is being run by Lothian and Borders Police in conjunction with the Scottish Executives anti-knife campaign "Knives, let's not scar another generation".

Lasting impact

Organiser Pc Neil Doig said: "We hope that lots of people will come along and support their local teams, but also support their local community in their solidarity against the carrying of knives.

"Steven Lennon was a young lad from our community whose life was cut short in the summer of last year because of a knife.

"We want to really stress to people, particularly the younger generation that carrying knives is not clever, it's potentially a death waiting to happen."

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said: "Too many young men like Steven are tragically killed or maimed by knives on Scotland's streets, events that leave a devastating and lasting impact on loved ones.

"I want to pay tribute to the local community who have come together in such difficult circumstances, both to remember Steven's short life and also to help raise awareness of the real impact of knife carrying."

Source: BBC

Comment: Steven was my son's freind when they were small boys. He is greatly misssed. R.I.P Steven.

No comments: