First visually-impaired match in city

Children with eye problems and other disabilities team up for football in Dundee

Youngsters living with visual impairments and other disabilities showed off their football skills in the first sporting event of its kind in Dundee yesterday.

Children with eye disorders were joined by others with conditions such as autism, global development delay and learning difficulties, on the turf at SoccerWorld on Old Glamis Road.

The visually-impaired football match was organised through children’s charity Aberlour by Dundee student Nathan Malley, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa (RP) – a genetic disorder which causes a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina.

He said he was inspired to show people what those with eye conditions can achieve after meeting two-time gold medal-winning Paralympic cyclist Stephen Bate, who also lives with RP.

The 17-year-old said: “I put this all together so people who have got the same eye problem, or different eye problems, can play football together.

“It’s just a sport I love doing and I was hearing about people saying behind my back that I can’t play football so I want to show them that I can still play football.”

Family worker for Aberlour’s Dundee option service Izzy Huggan helped co-ordinate the event.

She said: “We’re fundraising to support the Aberlour services here in Dundee.

“The service I work for in Dundee is a disability service so it is a really good opportunity to showcase the work we have been doing in supporting young people to reach their full potential and flourish.

“It’s really wonderful to see the response that we’ve had.”

There is now a possibility that the visually-impaired football team could be here to stay, after Aberlour staff entered talks with Disability Sport Scotland.

Liz Nolan, assistant director for Aberlour across central and east Scotland, said: “We work with families across the whole spectrum. Disabilities can cause significant stress in family life.

“Every child deserves the chance to flourish and Nathan has flourished in the last year – setting up this event knowing there are other kids like him and they are all here.”

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I put all this together so people who have got different eye problems can play football together

Pictures: Gareth Jennings. Teenager Stephen Bate, who suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, organised a visually-impaired football match in Dundee with children’s charity Aberlour.