Amputee Football Association Scotland (AFAS) is a Scottish charity established in April 2017 following a successful pilot project during 2016. Ashley Reid set up the charity when she realised there was interest in amputee football and potential for such an organisation when she was working with the charity Finding your Feet.
With a career in public relations and experience of Third Sector fundraising, Ashley approached Paul Kelly, manager of Partick Thistle Community Trust. Ashley shared her vision for amputee football because she recognised the successful work of Partick Thistle’s charitable arm in embracing the disciplines of Para football. Paul was keen to share his experiences of working with the Trust and his role as team manager of Petershill Junior Football Club.
AFAS operates under the guidance, endorsement and support of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) in its mission to offer any player or potential player with an amputation or limb difference the opportunity to play inclusive football.
When preparing for international matches players are offered the opportunity to attend training weekends at the National Sports Centre at Inverclyde in Largs. When preparing or playing international matches, players experience wearing the official Scotland Team kit and leisure wear, indicative of the professionalism and support that the team and AFAS enjoy as a partner of the Scottish FA.
In year one, Partick Thistle Amputee Team entered a team into the English Amputee League which has been running for more than thirty years. South of the Border, amputee football teams are affiliated to some of the top professional teams including Everton, Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle United, Brighton and Portsmouth.
Following a promising first year of playing in the English league, it was agreed that Scotland would set up its own national league when a new team had been established in the East at Dundee United. This led to the inaugural Scottish amputee football cup with Partick Thistle winning the title in the first year.
In 2017, the first amputee Scotland team played in a tri-nation tournament against Holland and Germany in Breda, Holland. The results for Scotland were not as hoped for but the experiences gained proved invaluable to the squad. Since that first international, Scotland has played against Holland, England and the Republic of Ireland at Largs and travelled overseas to play Italy in Verona.
AFAS has a lot of talented players and volunteers within the organisation who share the passion for developing the players and growing the game for players with amputations. The patron of the charity is the current Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill MBE. Michael not only champions the sport but has appeared at training and put the players through their paces when his busy schedule allows.
2019 is already shaping up to be a busy year for AFAS with increased game time for the Partick Thistle senior team. Matches have been arranged against English opposition in the England Amputee Football Association League Cup in April, near Birmingham. Internationally, Scotland is hoping to head to Italy in September to take part in a six nation tournament with potential matches against Greece, Germany, Holland, Italy and Belgium.
Amputee Football Association Scotland AFAS) not only has a senior team but also an ever increasing junior squad. Children as young as four attend regular training session but AFAS is constantly campaigning to raise awareness and increase numbers. Over the last two years AFAS has been instrumental in sending three juniors to Warsaw and Rome for junior training camps. This year AFAS will fund three players to attend a 5-day junior camp in Hoffenheim, Germany.
All European and World competitions come under the umbrella of UEFA and FIFA. AFAS is very proud that its youngest female player, Keeley Cerretti, has been chosen to be the face of UEFA’s marketing game #EQUALGAME.
In matches, all players are encouraged to play on crutches and without their prosthetic limbs in line with international amputee football rules. All goalkeepers must be arm amputees or have an arm deficiency. Within the English league however, the rules have been modified at the request of the players. Outfield players are permitted to play with their prosthetics but as with the international rules, goalkeepers must be arm amputees. The format is seven a side with two halves of twenty-five minutes and roll on substitutions.
Geographically in the Scottish senior team there are players from Cumbria to Tayside and all have competed at different levels within football. The players are not only passionate about football but some compete regularly in wheelchair tennis, wheelchair basketball or rock wall climbing. Iain Matthew from Fife for example was a Paralympic gold medallist in swimming in Barcelona in 1992. Players’ ages range from 22 to 50 years in this fast growing inclusive sport.
The Amputee Football Association in Scotland aims to promote inclusive football and improve access to playing and training opportunities for players of all ages and abilities who have an amputation or similar absent limb condition. AFAS also plans to facilitate opportunities for competitive play at local, National, European and World level.
The greatest challenges for AFAS are spreading the word about current and planned opportunities and how to encourage new players to sign up for junior and senior squads. AFAS players and volunteers have witnessed firsthand the health and well being, social and psychological benefits that result from being involved with the AFAS family and the Scottish FA movement in general. There is something very special about the navy blue shirt and being involved in the “beautiful game”.
Interested or wanting to find out more? Please contact Ashley Reid for an informal chat:
ashley@amputeefootballscotland.co.uk, visit www.amputeefootballscotland.co.uk or visit the Amputee Football Scotland facebook page.