‘I was run over when I was 13 and my life spiralled down from there’
Leon Greenway’s leg was ‘snapped in half’ in a horrific car accident, but disability football has helped him put his life on the right track . Rhodri Harrison reports
LEON Greenway was once a talented young Welsh footballer playing for Newport Town at the age of 13, when his leg was “snapped in half” in a horrific car accident.
The promising player had his “life turned upside down” when medical professionals expected him to be unable to stand or walk ever again.
When learning he couldn’t play the game he loved anymore, Leon went down a “different path”, with recurring difficulties with drugs and the law, as he struggled to adjust to a new life.
“Football is my life, when I found out I couldn’t play anymore – it broke me,” said the 32-year-old.
“I was having trials with major teams and it was everything to me. My whole life collapsed and I just kept getting into trouble.
“I just got into a life of crime and drugs and it wasn’t who I was.”
As years passed, Leon would go on to being diagnosed with schizophrenia, ADHD and Crohn’s disease and believes he was heading for jail or even losing his own life until he discovered a small disability football team five years ago.
Port Talbot Disability Football Club is a mixed-ability sports team that aims to support and improve the lives of those with disabilities through the game of football.
Established in 1996, the club has grown substantially in years, welcoming a mixture of disabilities and backgrounds into enjoying competitive football in a fair environment.
“It changed my life around, it was the best thing for me and it’s made me fall in love with football again. It’s given me purpose,” said Port Talbot resident Leon.
“It’s much more than a team, it’s a family, it’s one big unit and we all help each other out both in terms of football but also if we’re feeling down.”
Finding his love for the sport once again, Leon has progressed in the club to assistant manager, operating as the coach as he undergoes training courses to become a qualified coach for the future.
“The team has supported me through it all, even being dyslexic, I know I can count on others to help me get the qualifications I need. I just want to help other people play football now and join our family.
“It’s came on leaps on bounds in recent years, Kevin [the chair] has helped create the Welsh disability league and we’re always looking to help anyone who needs it to play football.”
With a generous £5,000 donation from Port Talbot’s own resident actor and icon Michael Sheen, there are plans to further expand the accessibility and competitive structure to enable people of similar disabilities to compete against one another.
“The support he’s shown us has been overwhelming, everyone from the team just wanted to thank him and we want to try and get the sport more widely recognised” said Leon.
In 2019, the club was taken over by Kevin Roots, who recognised the thriving health of disability football across the border in England and wanted to replicate it in Wales.
Having established Northampton Town’s disability football club in 1985, Kevin has decades of years experience in helping people access the sport.
Working in a day-centre, Kevin argued sport was an outlet for people to “turn their lives around” that could help people with troubled upbringings.
“You give people the tools and the chance to turn their lives around and they will,” said Kevin, who moved to Port Talbot with his wife.
“We’re all about developing players into people. Qualifications and behaviour are part of that, but being part of a recognised name and town adds to that sense of responsibility.
“Disability football in Wales is behind in comparison to England. We’re trying to do more to reach more people and offer more but we have had increasing difficulty in giving a voice to this often overlooked group” the 63-year-old said.
With the ongoing pandemic cutting off all access into sport, Kevin argues disability football has particularly taken a hit just as it was beginning to grow.
“The pandemic has put us in the dark, there’s no question about it. A lot of our players are often isolated in the community and the past year has excelled that. We have had players not return due to the fears but we want to always be an option and offer a welcome to them.
“People need to recognise there is a growing demand for this. Disabilities come in all forms and we’re establishing different league structures to help people have a competitive lifestyle and help them grow” he said.
The team is made up of a range of abilities and ages, with generations of family being involved in helping the club tick over.
Phillip Griffiths, 39, plays for the club alongside his son Jack Griffiths, 18, with his own challenges which the team enable them to overcome.
“I used to play football with Mental Health Wales, I wanted to do more outdoor 11-a-side football and they recommended me to Port Talbot DFC. We started in June last year, during Covid. I was working for a travel company and got really affected by the pandemic. It just got too much for me and I had been out of work for around about a year,” Phillip said.
Through the help of Mental Health Wales and the team, Phillip has been able to regain full-time employment recently.
The Swansea resident, who has spinal stenosis and ileostomy, has been trying to ease himself into a healthy environment that is both physically and socially rewarding.
“The team has been fantastic to us, different abilities and needs are all welcomed and it’s helped me feel more confident, it’s great the range of players we have here” he said.
Having taken over as the financial secretary, Phillip has the task of fundraising for the club and established a page for people to donate in support.
“I met Michael Sheen through the Homeless World Cup a while ago and asked him if he could share the page for a bit of publicity.
“I didn’t expect him to donate anything but when he just dropped the generous fund, we were shocked and in disbelief. It’s going to help us so much to reach so many more people and we don’t want to stop here” he said.
Members of the football team all have their own unique stories and advocate for more investment and acknowledgement to be given to disability football.
Rhys Jenkins is an ambassador for Autism Directory and a huge champion for helping people learn more about the condition. Having previously featured on The Undateables, Swansea fell in love with the friendly character, who now wants to help spread the awareness of disability football.
“I have always loved football, even from a young age. Disability football lets me play the game I love and it is critical in helping develop people of all abilities develop into independent and confident people,” he said.
Having been a player for several years, Rhys wants to spread awareness that disabled football is accessible for all needs.
“It filled that gap for me, I have always wanted to play football but I didn’t fall into that norm and it offers a different level outside of the typical.
“The pandemic has made it more difficult and held us back logistically – it’s made us realise how important football is to all. People overlook this sport and perhaps some people aren’t aware but the player base needs greater acknowledgement.
“Disability football is critical and I hope we can do much more” he said.
With growing numbers and hoping to build a further platform for disability football in South Wales, Port Talbot Disability Football Club is still seeking funds to expand the team. You can donate by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yckjr7d6