The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Posh amputee footballers make history
Peterborough United amputee football team are hoping to create a new legacy after their FA Disability Cup victory was shown live on national TV at the weekend.
On Sunday, Posh won their third FA Disability Cup, to go with their 2017 and 2018 titles, by beating Portsmouth 6-5 on penalties after the scores were tied at 0-0.
Goalkeeper Kieran Lambourne stepped up once the shoo-out got into sudden death to save Roger Whitehouse’s penalty, leaving Captain Harry Ash to tuck away the winning spot kick.
Posh had to battle hard throughout the match and had goalkeepers Chris Ferguson, who played the first half, and Kieran Lambourne, who finished the match, to thank for keeping them in the game, both of them made a string of fantastic saves to keep Pompey out.
The match made history, not only did Posh become the reigning league and cup champions, but it was the first amputee football match broadcast on TV.
BT Sport screened the match which was played at England’s St George’s Park and was presented by a starstudded cast, which included The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker and Paralympic gold medalist Hannah Cockroft.
The match was also the perfect send-off for coach Teilo Pearce, who had planned to step down after the match. He had led the team since 2018 and hopes that this success can be the beginning of a new
era for the side.
He said: “It was an exhausting experience, it took so much organising writing up the player profiles, taking Covid tests, transporting the equipment, getting the team in all in one place; we have players that travel a long way to play for us, some don’t drive, some need lifts, so it takes a lot to get the side together.
“The media interest was unreal and it was something that I wasn’t prepared for. I think the win will be massive for the city as a whole. We don’t always have the most to shout about but in amputee football, if you look at the results, we are the best team in the country.
“I still think we have a long way to go, there were some pretty ignorant comments on social media but we’d love to get to a place where we are spoken in the same breath as
Posh’s success.
“I’m hoping this can be a catalyst for more opportunities. We still need more players and we’ve never had the opportunity to get a real training base established but I’m hoping this success can create a lasting legacy for the club.
“I’m also glad we were able to give our sponsors the Free Kicks Foundation and CFG Law some exposure. Steve Thorpe at Free Kicks Foundation has been great and we really need that funding.”
There are just eight amptuee sides in the country and Posh are among the best and have a squad packed full of players expected to represent England at European Amputee Football Championships in September.
Ferguson (19) and Lambourne (22) are expected to be in contention as it is clear Posh have an embarrassment of riches in the goalkeeping ranks. Gary Marheineke, who assisted Telio in coaching the side, has been England’s number one for many years, actually stepped away from the playing side for the match to give the younger players an opportunity.
The match will also be remembered for the appearance of Shelbee Clarke. She has fought off cancer three times and is the only current adult female amputee player. She came on in the second half to a wild reception. The video of her coming on, posted by BT Sport, has been viewed over 266,000 times on Twitter.