DISABILITY FOOTBALL

PETER HARDING: Turning Trauma into Action

Peter Harding was in the minority. He featured in the slither of young lads who had an opportunity at playing football at elite level. He has lived and breathed the beautiful game since the moment he could kick a ball at age four. On the books at Fulham FC, his whole life was set out in front of him.

In 2012, aged fifteen, Peter suffered a brain injury and everything stopped. His life was reset, having to learn to walk, talk and eat again. However, the most painful thing was that his relationship with football had been affected. The dream that had been omnipresent in his life to date and that he was on course to achieve was no longer an option.

Following his rehabilitation, he went back to his local club AFC Brooklands with the plan of rebuilding, but what had previously come as second nature was no longer there. “My brain was saying one thing and my feet were saying another, it was really distressing,” says Peter. He was at a crossroads and on the verge of walking away from everything he had ever known, yet the London 2012 Paralympic Games turned out to be pivotal in his path. Inspired after attending the cerebral palsy and brain injury football matches at The Riverbank, he approached Chelsea FC who had a disability team. In time, he became their captain and went on to represent them at major championships in Europe.

On coming home from a tournament in Vienna, news reports had misrepresented the facts and ostracised Peter’s team, who were the first to play at Rapid Vienna’s new stadium. Peter channelled this frustration and it was the catalyst for his creation of “Why Can’t We”, a disability sport campaign that raises awareness and coverage across mainstream media. From that moment, he found his inner strength and began a new crusade: “What happened to me has been a challenge but it’s not something I can’t live or cope with. I’ve done that my whole life, just moved on and got on with it.”

Peter now dedicates every ounce of his being to the cause, from coaching disability football, volunteering at community groups and securing places on the FA and BBC disability boards as well as the Kick It Out youth committee, alongside his role as a Youth Sport Trust ambassador. In 2016, he won the FA Young Volunteer Award and was presented with the trophy by Geoff Hurst on the hallowed turf at Wembley.

Recent coverage of Why Can’t We has included BBC Radio 5 Live, Football Focus, Get Inspired, BBC Newsday, World Service and Channel 4’s The Last Leg. Not one to rest on his laurels, Peter is also infiltrating from the inside, meeting with the likes of Barbara Slater (Director of Sport, BBC) and Henry Winter (Chief Football Writer, The Times) to push his disability sport agenda on the upper echelons of the footballing world.

After such a traumatic life-changing incident, it would have been easy for Peter Harding to take a different path in life. But he has other ideas and he wants everybody to know about them. “I should slow down, but I can’t, if I’m honest. There is still so much work to be done.” TGP

LEGENDS IN THE GAME

In each issue we want to celebrate and inspire by hearing from those who have made their way to the top in the world of disability football. The challenges they’ve overcome, their journey and their hopes for the future of the game after the launch of the FA’s Football Your Way plan.

In this issue, we speak to Phoebe Gibbons, a lifelong football fan whose cerebral palsy hasn’t stopped her joining her brothers in attempting to visit all ninetytwo Premier League and Football League stadia. During the pandemic in 2020 she took the opportunity to extend her love of the game and took part in an FA Introduction to Coaching pilot scheme.

She hasn’t looked back ever since and now coaches Summertown Stars Warriors children’s disability team in Oxfordshire, helping kids with physical disabilities to enjoy football from an early age - an opportunity she didn’t have herself.

Phoebe hopes that the FA’s new Football Your Way strategy will help her to not only further her coaching qualifications, but also grow the number of grassroots teams playing disability football in the county. Football has increased her confidence and that of the children she works with, as well as providing a support network for the parents. TGP: Where did your love of football come from? You've never let your disability stand in the way of your passions! But were there any challenges or obstacles you faced when you realised you wanted to work in football? Phoebe: Living with a disability presents challenges on a daily basis and I do my best not to let them stand in my way. But accessing football when I was younger was difficult, particularly with regards to a team as there weren't any that could accommodate my needs as someone with cerebral palsy. I was able to join in at school, but as I got older my mobility started to deteriorate and it became harder to play.

Becoming a coach was an opportunity for me to get back involved with football and to try and create opportunities for other disabled people. I've since been really fortunate to have found a team who are really supportive. I think if there have been any obstacles, we’ve managed to overcome them as a team. I've been really fortunate to have met people who are just as positive about inclusion and equal opportunities as me.

It's also about your own self-belief and taking opportunities. For me, that’s definitely something that has come with age.

What impact do you think the 'Football Your Way' plan will have on the sport? Phoebe: I think it will have a really positive impact! We have so many talented disabled people out there who want to be involved with football, whether they’re players, coaches or backroom staff. But if they’re not given opportunities to flourish, then their confidence and self-belief will be affected. They won’t want to be involved in football because of that, and football will be missing out massively.

My hope is this initiative filters down to a grassroots level because ultimately that is where most - if not all - journeys start. Let's fully invest in this and watch disability sports grow.

If you were to give yourself one piece of advice growing up, what would it be? Or what words of encouragement would you give to a young person with a disability wanting to play or work in football? Phoebe: Great question! I think it would be: don't feel guilty about who you are. And you can do this!

Everyone should have the right to access the beautiful game in a way that meets their individual needs. We all should be able to feel part of a team. To develop friendships and communities, as well as being able to access physical exercise in a fun way. I know it's hard sometimes, but nothing's impossible. It's about doing things your way. It's about doing “Football Your Way”.

What are your dreams for the future of football? Phoebe: My dreams are that everyone - regardless of who they are - can access football in a way that meets their needs.

I would love for disability football to be more visible, not only in the media, but in everyday life. We need to collaborate and learn from one another. We also need to create more teams and more opportunities for those who want to participate. TGP