FOCUS ON GROW THE GAME

Solely funded by The FA and delivered on their behalf by the Football Foundation, Grow the Game is a scheme that focuses on creating brand new association football teams. Grants of £1,500 are made available to every new team created, helping to relieve the financial burden on clubs by paying for FA coaching courses, FA league affiliation costs, referees’ fees, first aid kits and even kit and equipment. The grants are targeted at traditionally underrepresented groups in community football, including women and girls’ teams and disability teams. In 2018, 491 Grow the Game grants were awarded worth £1.75m. This helped to form 1,166 new teams and deliver access to football for more than 12,500 people.

BANTAMS LADIES DISABILITY TEAM MAKES CUP FINAL IN FIRST YEAR

“THE IMPROVED EQUIPMENT HAS HAD KNOCK-ON BENEFITS TO OUR PLAYER RECRUITMENT, AND WE’VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO CREATE AN ENTIRE NEW TEAM AT UNDER-7S LEVEL.”

If you quickly combine a team of individuals who have never played football together before, a period of transition and some teething problems would be expected.

But Bradford City’s Ladies Disability Team certainly wasted no time in getting to know each other after being awarded a Grow the Game grant. The achievement was all the more remarkable given that four of the seven community stars had never kicked a ball before pulling on their Bradford City kits.

Gemma Rose Fletcher, Bradford City Disability FC goalkeeper, said: “Bradford City Disability FC has changed my life for the better. I didn’t really know many people with disabilities until I met the team and coaches. We train once a week and all have a laugh with each other, and I have made many new friends through the club.

“Having started by playing in the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League just a few months ago, it was one of the best experiences of my life to reach The FA People’s Cup Final. It felt like a dream and I’m so proud of

Incredibly, the Bantams went all the way to the final of The FA People’s Cup at St George’s Park, eventually succumbing to three times winners, Aston Villa.

what we have achieved in such a short space of time.”

The inspired run to the final of the national competition was also a particularly proud moment for Head Coach, Paul Jubb, who has been coaching disabled sport for nearly two decades.

He said: “As a coach, I take great pride in trying to change people’s lives and what I enjoy most about disability football is that people really appreciate what you’re doing for them, whether it’s the players, their families, carers or their friends. Disabled people just want the chance to play football.

“To have reached a national cup final within just six months of starting out as a team is simply a ridiculous achievement. All of our players can now say they’ve played in the FA People’s Cup which is a great feeling for them.”

GROW THE GAME GRANT GIVES TEYAH HER FIRST FOOTBALLING ACTION

“The best day of my life” was how nineyear-old Teyah described her first taste of the nation’s favourite game.

A Grow the Game grant given to St Agnes FC, provided Teyah with her very first opportunity to take part in football. The youngster, who has Peter’s Anomaly and Neuronal Migration disorder also managed to score her first ever goal in the process.

The taster session was supported by Cornwall FA and it forms part of St Agnes AFC’s plan to enhance their present disability provision to offer footballing opportunities to female footballers with disabilities.

Mandy Kimmins, Chair of St Agnes AFC, said: “There are people with disabilities up and down the country that have been let down by the lack of disabled footballing provision and we felt this needed to change. “With the help of our Grow the Game grant, we are striving to provide accessible and affordable football to players with disabilities and our taster session was just the beginning of our journey.”

Over the course of the next three years, St Agnes FC aims to become the first club in Cornwall to fund a disabled Under-16 female side, and Kimmins is excited to see what the future brings.

She said: “It’s rather shocking that, locally, there’s currently no provision for female disabled football at that age group so it’s about time someone did something about it. We’re going to be looking these opportunities so that girls like Teyah can continue to enjoy inclusive football, with the possibility of also playing competitive football against rival clubs in Devon.”