Powerchair football is winning new fans
East Kilbride MSP Linda Fabiani has teamed up with a powerchair football family to help grow the sport in Scotland.
Powerchair football is a fast and furious take on the beautiful game that allows people with physical and mental disabilities to take to the pitch on motorised wheelchairs.
Players can have special bumpers attached to their chairs or, for more serious competition, they can use specially modified chairs that are faster and more responsive.
Lindsayfield teenager Thomas Pettigrew, who suffers from cerebral palsy, told the News earlier this year how playing the sport for the Clyde ALBA team in Cumbernauld has been life-changing, allowing him to access the sport he loves.
Thomas’ father Willie is chairman of the Scottish Powerchair Football Association and Ms Fabiani recently met with the Pettigrews during their visit to the Scottish Parliament to promote the sport.
And she has now backed calls to provide more support to the SPFA, which can help encourage more players to get involved. After signing a pledge in Holyrood, Ms Fabiani said: “It was a particular pleasure to meet up with East Kilbride’s own powerchair football star Thomas Pettigrew and learn about the great work the SPFA is doing in giving power wheelchair users in Scotland the opportunity to play football and to participate in a team sport which has so many benefits; allowing players to compete locally, nationally and even internationally.
“Powerchair football allows people to develop skills, discipline and friendships as well as giving players a focus that benefits them both physically and mentally.
“I welcome the decision by the Scottish Government to require Changing Places toilet facilities in all new-build sport centres, however many existing sports facilities across Scotland are not accessible to powerchair footballers.
“By improving disabled facilities and supporting the work of the SPFA, the Scottish Government has the chance to make a real difference to Scottish Para footballers, and I’ll be asking for this consideration.
“Local authorities and sportscotland should consider their current facilities and ask if they meet the needs of all Scottish Para athletes.
“I’ll be asking South Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture about this.”
Scotland has its own national league with two divisions and two cup competitions.
In addition, a national powerchair football team, formed from players across the country, will be hosting a tri-nations tournament against Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland at the sportscotland National Centre in Inverclyde later this year.
Indeed, Thomas and his Clyde ALBA team have already made a name for themselves after winning the Premiership title in May for the second year running, which also helped them qualify for the powerchair version of the Champions League in Switzerland next summer.
But the sport hasn’t managed to make an impact in South Lanarkshire just yet, with the facilities falling short of the requirements to host matches.
SPFA chairman Willie said: “Linda was really enthusiastic and we are delighted to get the support from her and other MSPs.
“The MSPs have been lobbying the sports minister, Joe FitzPatrick, for a bit more funding as a lot of the venues we use don’t have the facilities we need to play games.
“South Lanarkshire is an area where we don’t have a team at the moment and one of the main reasons for our visit was awareness.
“In terms of East Kilbride, we have used Duncanrig Sports Centre for training before but it’s not big enough for us to play a match.
“The John Wright Sports Centre is big enough but isn’t accessible enough for us in terms of disabled toilets and changing facilities.
“But before that, we would like to get more people in South Lanarkshire taking up the sport.
“One of the things we are looking to do is take on an employed development officer. They will go into schools where there are a number of disabled children, raise awareness of the sport and let them know it’s there for them.”
For more info visit https:// thespfa.org/
Linda was really enthusiastic and we were delighted Willie Pettigrew