British soccer club launches disability team

From This is Kent in the UK:

Disabled football enthusiasts now have the chance to play for Tunbridge Wells Football Club.

The club has launched it's first ever disability football team along with charities Compaid and Pepenbury, who share the grounds at the Tunbridge Wells stadium, and Oakley School, the town's district special school.

Training sessions will take place each Monday from 4pm to 6pm a Pepenbury Hall in Pembury, for both men and women aged 16 plus.

Secretary Joe Croker told the Kent and Sussex Courier: "It started because I have been volunteering down at Compaid who share TWFC and I met a young lad, Steve Groves, who has cerebal palsey but has just got his level one reffing and coaching badges.

"Steve is the qualified coach who will hold sessions every Monday. It will be continuous training with normally about four tournaments a year.

"We believe our teams are likely to be more physically disabled than others, so it's more for the taking part rather than the winning.

"There are a lot of people who have never been given the opportunity to play football. But this really is football for all."

Steve, a 23-year-old from Tonbridge is a client with Compaid, which provides computer aid for speech impaired and disabled people.

He said: "Football for me is like my blood, it flows through my body constantly so it is quite a big thing for me.

"I have done my mini-soccer reffing badges and my level one coaching badge and as far as I know I'm the first disabled person here to do that. It's quite a big achievement."

TWFC Disability Team caters for everyone who has been excluded from football, whether they are physically or mentally disabled. Mr Joe said the club would do all they could to cater for those who are blind, deaf or used a wheelchair.

The club will continue to play at Pepenbury hall until the summer months when they will use the pitch at the club's home, Culverden stadium.

Funding for the team has come from various sources: "TWFC has put up all the equipment and the use of the pitch in the summer," said Joe.

"Pepenbury has given us the hall for nothing, which was such a big burden taken away from us. We got a grant of £500 for special equipment through Kent FA and Oakley School are going to provide players for us."