ENGLAND'S AMPUTEE ACES
JOHN LYONS talks to national team head coach Owen Coyle Jnr and Man City FC Amputees’ Lee Dobson about the developing game…
oWEN Coyle Jnr admits he’s biased, but he’s right when he says the quality of the England Amputee football players is ‘nothing short of outstanding’.
Coyle should know – last October the 20-yearold took over as head coach and in late June he guided his charges to a superb win in the prestigious Amp Futbol Cup in Poland.
“The ability they’ve got is something else,” he enthuses.“I have played against them without crutches in five-a-sides and they’ve given me and my mates a game.
“In disability football, it’s the best one to watch. If someone wants to see what’s it’s like, they should go on YouTube – they will be blown away.”
Amputee football is on the up and has developed quickly in recent years, but Coyle acknowledges there is still a long way to go.
The son of the former Burnley, Bolton and Blackburn boss said:“It’s grown at a rapid rate in the last three or four years and we have a new league with eight teams, such as Manchester City, Everton and Arsenal.The best players are selected for England.
“What is lacking is publicity and funding, but hopefully that improves over time.The game is in a good place.”
Something that helped publicity-wise was when the England and Ireland teams showcased the game at the UEFA Champions League Festival in Cardiff ahead of the final between Real Madrid and Juventus.
England ran out 10-3 winners against the Irish in front of Brazilian legend Cafu, supporting the game as official UEFA ambassador.
In fact, that match was part of a month-long celebration of amputee football in June, trying to spread the message across Europe.
The European Amputee Football Federation was established in 2015 and currently includes 13 nations.
From ex-football players who have suffered an accident or disease, to those with congenital defects who share a love for football, there is a demand for amputee football.
Due to that, the game is growing not only in countries with a military past, but also in countries where football is simply popular.
The best example that shows the potential of the discipline is Turkey, where there are already more than 500 amputee football players in 24 clubs.
Outfield players have only one leg and move on crutches, while goalkeepers have only one arm.
Matches are played between teams of seven players on a 60x40m grass pitch.There are two 25 minute halves.
The culmination of the month-long celebration was the six-team international tournament in Poland, which conclud- ed with England beating the hosts 1-0 in the final. After 11 years playing as Great Britain, the home nations have gone their separate ways.The demonstration game against Ireland, albeit six-a-side, was England’s relaunch and the Amp Futbol Cup in Warsaw was their first major test – Coyle’s men passed with flying colours.
In their group, England beat France 2-0 and Ireland 3-0.They then thrashed Japan 4-0 in the semi-final before Lee Dobson’s goal proved enough to see off the Poles in the final.
Coyle said:“Last year as Great Britain, we were on the end of a 5-2 drubbing against
Poland in the semi-final, so we had something to prove.
“We analysed Poland, had a gameplan and in their own backyard, we came out the other side. It was a marvellous tournament, but we aren’t the finished article and there’s a lot of work to be done before the Euros in Turkey in October.”
Manchester City’s Dobson is an experienced player at 30. It was 15 years ago that an accident at home changed his life forever.
“One of the first things I wanted to know was whether I would still be able to play football,” he said. “I love it and it’s great that amputee football is growing and more clubs are coming on board.
“We’ve got a few golden oldies at Manchester City, but there are quite a few youngsters coming through. There are a lot more players now.” Dobson stepped away from the international set-up for a time as family commitments and his job – he works in the admin department for loss adjusters Crawford & Co – took up his time. He’s married to Jody and has two young girls – Kira, 6, and Nevaeh (heaven backwards), 3. It means he’s relishing being back in the England set-up again. “We didn’t concede a goal in Poland and we followed the coach’s instructions well,” he said. “As a kid, you dream of scoring the winning goal in a final and there was a lot of emotion. “I haven’t seen a lot of the other teams that will be in the Euros, but we will be going out there to try to win it and hopefully we can have more success.” Coyle will no doubt come up with new plans and ideas as England warm up for their Turkish test. Since joining the Lanchashire FA as an apprentice at 15, he’s come a long way.
“It’s a massive achievement at a personal level to be an international coach,” he said.“It’s inspirational to be part of and hopefully we can improve on the trophy we won in Poland – that would be the icing on the cake.
“It’s a privilege to be part of and I appreciate all the support I get, especially at such a young age. The players believe in what we’re trying to implement.”
If he does need advice, Coyle Jnr knows he can always turn to his dad for support.
“He’s an ambassador and has been a huge supporter of amputee football,” said Coyle Jnr. “He’s always backed me and given me guidance. He watched the games in Poland on a live stream.”
Coyle Jnr, who works for the Blackpool FC Community Trust, is a fully-fledged Scot having been born and lived there until the age of 12. His tones are Scottish and he’s also got Irish heritage. Yet as far as his football is concerned, English amputee glory is something he can live with…