What retired footballers do?

Lou Macari in his playing days

Many of us wonder what do sports people do when they retire? Well, some of them become coaches to teach the sport they excelled in and a few of them become quite successful. Yet there are others who do voluntary work and others who go over and beyond being generous. One such footballer is Lou Macari who played in the 1970s and 1980s with Manchester United, playing 400 games and scoring 100 goals. Recently he opened the Macari Center to house homeless people. He got the idea while walking in the countryside, and found a place in which he erected a series of huts, which he called ‘pods.’ They will house over 50 homeless people in Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. 

Lou Macari near some of the pods in Stoke-on-Trent

These pods are 15 feet by 8 feet complete with a bed, a desk, a TV, warm running water and a closet. Lou Macari supervises this centre, a large warehouse the size of a football field, and is also very close to Marcus Rashford who is still playing for Man Utd, and who is sensitizing the whole community to raise money for the poor in England. Lou has received many donations from other generous people, including 46 television sets, clothing and the cooperation of the local City Council.

Inside one of these pods.