FROM a football freedom fighter to an award winning sports personality, Iqbal Ebrahim has done everything for the game that is his life.

For it was more than 25 years ago that Iqbal ran the gauntlet with council officials when he formed a pirate football league for young Asians who just wanted to play a game of football.

Today he is one of the most respected men in local football.

And winning an award for service to sport in this year's Blackburn and District Sports Council presentations just goes to underline that.

But back in the mid 70s, reputation stood for nothing as he remembers being chased off Pleasington playing fields by irate council officials for staging games without permission.

Obviously he knew how far he could push the authority. But his determination to give his community the chance to play football paid off and he was instrumental in helping to establish the Northern Sunday League for teams from as far a field as Preston and Bolton - and this time it was all above board.

Iqbal recalls: "It was an experience to say the least.

"Sometimes we would be playing games and the council would come and move us on and we would find another pitch and the same would happen again. "But at the time it was very hard for Asian players to get into the established leagues so we decided to do it ourselves, even though we did bend a few rules."

That probably seems a lifetime ago for Iqbal who has since established the Blackburn Community seven-a-side League, the Hawthorns Junior Summer League and the East Lancashire Midweek Summer League.

He is also the chairman of Blackburn United where he has successful brought together players from both sides of the community who are united together in playing football.

And his burning ambition is to unearth a talented Asian youngster who will make the grade in professional football.

He said: "The day I see an Asian player run onto Ewood Park in a Blackburn Rovers shirt would be a dream come true for me.

"Our community needs a role model to look up to in football and I would love it if it was a playing who had come up through the ranks of one of the league's I am involved in. "Today, Asian youngsters have a lot more support in their quest to make it in football where in my day, parents simply did not want you to play the game.

"But there is more to Asians than playing cricket or running corner shops and the day an Asian footballer makes the grade is not that long away."

Described as a volunteer's volunteer by those who have worked closely with him over the years, Iqbal said the award makes all the hard work over the years worthwhile.

He added: "I have picked up a few awards in my time but this has got to be the best one yet. To be honest I am absolutely chuffed and pleased that the Sports Council has recognised me in this way."

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