Chelsea Foundation’s successful Disability Showcase

Chelsea Foundation’s successful Disability Showcase

‘It is an amazing event and really highlights and celebrates the hard work we do all year. It is the pinnacle of our year and we get to bring all our friends from other clubs along to enjoy it and play football. The event is all about creating an opportunity for disabled people to play football and it doesn’t matter what club you play for or support or where you live, it is about having an opportunity to play football at Cobham or Stamford Bridge and it is vital we give children with disabilities the same opportunities as able-bodied players. It’s not every day you get to have the whole training ground and stadium to yourself so for the club to give us access to that shows how important it is to the club and we are really proud to be associated with this football club.’ Andy Rose, disability senior officer for the Chelsea Foundation.

Last weekend, the Chelsea Foundation’s Disability Showcase proved a huge success with more than 850 young people and adults with varying disabilities visiting Cobham and Stamford Bridge for a weekend of football fun. The two-day event, which is the largest football disability showcase event in the UK, began at their Cobham Training Ground on Saturday before switching to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. In total, more than 800 participants were involved over the weekend. The event highlights the club’s commitment to the disability inclusion programme, which enables young people and adults with any disability to participate in regular, organised football matches and coaching sessions in a safe and enjoyable environment.

Through the delivery of equality and disability awareness training for coaches and teachers, the Chelsea Foundation embeds a culture of inclusive sport and physical activity, ensuring disabled people can access the sport or physical activity of their choice, inspiring them to develop the skills and confidence to realise their potential. For this edition, 32 teams participated which included Premier League sides AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Norwich City. Chelsea Foundation disability coordinator Ellie Crabb said: ‘It’s really important that we do these type of events so that we can bring people together because some don’t get the opportunity in the areas they live or the schools they go to. A lot of people are excluded when they have a disability and so this event is about trying to change that mindset and make people understand that differences are okay.’

The first day started with pan-disability football for players aged under 8 to 16. Running simultaneously on the 3G pitch at Cobham there was a Club Foot festival of football, for players aged 3 to 15 which was organised with the support and assistance of Global Clubfoot Initiative, Steps, a national charity working for those whose lives are affected by childhood lower limb conditions and Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. Among the onlookers was former Blue and club ambassador Carlo Cudicini, who was delighted to see Chelsea put on such a vast and inspiring event for disabled footballers.

‘It has been great to meet these unbelievable people,’ said Cudicini. ‘I’ve been busy meeting the parents and kids and they are all enjoying themselves at this fantastic event. This is a very important area of work for the club and the Foundation and all those involved with organising it deserve huge credit. Cudicini added: ‘Football is special because all you need is a ball and anyone can play, events like today just highlight the fact that football is for everyone and is a game we can all enjoy. These kids have all been through a lot in their lives so to see them running around and enjoying themselves is special.’

Ryan Cheeseman, captain of Premiership winners Sutton United, said: ‘Today has been excellent! There’s been some really good performances from the teams, we’ve had some really tough games so it’s been a great achievement from my team. It’s such a great experience for us to play at Stamford Bridge, and it’s good for our families to have been able to come and watch. It’s really good of the Chelsea Foundation to put events on like this. It’s great for disability football and it just continues to get bigger and better every year. For a Premier League club to recognise and give us a day where all these players can showcase their abilities despite their disabilities, is a really great achievement for everyone to be a part of and I just want to thank Chelsea for putting this on today.’