Football for Disabled People

 

Ability Counts Programme

Prior to 1999, The Football Association support for Disability Football was limited. Through the Technical Department a Disabled Working Party was formed, chaired by Ted Copeland.

This group produced a booklet to assist coaches to work with players with learning difficulties and launched the preliminary soccer star test. This test was especially designed for use by players with a learning difficulty. Due to the plethora of organisations representing disabled people, The FA found it difficult to produce a coherent all embracing strategy for disabled football.

With the formation of the Football Development department and the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS), the umbrella organisation for the seven National Disability Sports organisations, lines of communications became clear.

The FA were approached by EFDS and asked if they would like to become partners in a national disability football programme, OnetoOne Ability Counts, therefore through funding from the Charity Shield (£100k for three years), OnetoOne (£100k for three years) and Sportsmatch (£50k for the first year only) the programme was launched in 1999.

Since the early days of the programme, The FA has developed Ability Counts as its national activity programme ensuring disabled people have opportunities to play and train on a local level. Throughout England, players are participating in 54 clubs in season 05/06. The clubs are either Football in the Community schemes or Charter Standard Development or Community Clubs.

The disability player pathway and talent identification structure show the important role these clubs will have in the development of local opportunities. The FA have limited resources in this area of work, and we must target funding to ensure maximum benefit and make the ability count club the ‘hub’ for disability football activity, providing both regular playing and training opportunities. It is also important to ensure a greater link between the club and the respective County FA to ensure a coordinated and strategic approach.

The strategy identifies that 60 clubs will be in operation by December 2006. Since the publishing of the disability football strategy it has become evident that to ensure the sustainability of football for disabled people, it is important to have a number of inclusive football clubs who provide for the whole community.

The following is the criteria for existing or new clubs:

Criteria for Ability Counts Clubs for season 2006/07

·        Offer at least two extra curriculum sessions (6 week blocks), linked into the 3 Lions FC programme.

·        Offer at least two curriculum sessions (6 week blocks), one of these sessions must be aimed at girls' participation.

·        Be the exit route for the area and play in County or Regional Ability Counts competitions (this is of paramount importance).

·        Play an active role in the county/regional disability group.

·        Provide participation figures quarterly for use by the County FA.

·        Provide a business plan for activity in season 06/07.

To ensure effective use of the funding and appropriate monitoring of the clubs, funding will be disseminated to the CFAs, to create a stronger link between CFAs and clubs.

FiTC and Charter Standard Community/Development clubs can apply. Each successful club will receive £1,000 once the following procedure has been met:

1.      Each club must complete the application form attached and return to their respective County FA.

2.      The application form should be accompanied by a club business activity plan (see attached) and returned to the County FA by 19 August 2006.

3.      Once the FA are in receipt of all the requested information, we will release the payment of £1,000 to the County FA when all the applications have been considered by the funding sub group in September. If the scheme is over subscribed, the sub group will allocate funds on the merit and quality of each application.

4.      During the season each club will be subject to a monitoring visit completed by the County FA.

5.      No funds will be released until the application form and club business activity plan are submitted.

It is our aim to bring all the football development programmes together and be strategic in our delivery if we are to make a real sustainable difference. These clubs are key to the success of disability football in England.

Useful links and downloads

·        Ability Counts Clubs - latest list (xls)

·        Ability Counts Leagues - latest list (xls)

·        Regional Ability Counts Competitions

·        Coaching Disabled Footballers  

·        Centres of Excellence - Disability

·        The DDA guide (pdf)

·        International Team