Jon Pugh believes his England side have the quality to live up to the expectations of a home crowd and win the Blind European Championships.
The Three Lions kick off the 29-fixture, nine-day tournament on Saturday, when they take on Poland at thePoint4, on the Royal National College for the Blind’s Hereford campus.
England fixtures
Played at thePoint4, Hereford
1pm Sat 22 Aug v Poland
7.30pm Sun 23 Aug v Italy
7.30pm Tues 25 Aug v Germany
7.30pm Wed 26 Aug v Turkey
The two finalists will be assured a place at next year’s Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and while competition is likely to be fierce, Pugh feels his side can make the grade.
"We are looking really good at the moment, we’ve got no injury problems, so we are all set up to do well," said Pugh, who took over as head coach last year after half a decade as assistant.
"If we play to our potential there is no reason why we can’t win it. But it’s about how we handle the pressure at home as well.
"We’ve bought into a new philosophy, playing a different type of football where we can adapt, knowing we’ve got the players now.
"They are strong athletes who are dedicated to winning football matches."
England blind head coach Jon Pugh
Blind football is played to a five-a-side format and the ball carries encased bearings which allow the players to hear its movement. The keepers are sighted, but the outfield players have no vision, and play with blindfolds during the game.
England have been drawn in Group A alongside Italy, Poland, Turkey and Germany, with the top two teams progressing through to the semi-finals.
“I’m made up that the competition is here. We’ll have a full house for every England game”
Jon Pugh England Blind head coach
Reigning champions Spain and France are traditional powerhouses, but Pugh believes home advantage can help England achieve their goal.
"I’m made up that the competition is here. We’ll have a full house for every England game and hopefully that will spur us on to do well," he said.
"We train twice a month, four days at a time on a pitch that is bespoke to blind football.
"It is a sand-based astroturf, which most countries don’t play on, and that should give us an advantage.
"It is very quick and that suits our style of play. It will be a massive lift to use as a team to be here.
He added: "The response from the public has been fantastic. We are very lucky that we have played here in Hereford for as long as I can remember, and the public has always got behind us.
"It can be a nerve-wracking experience being the hosts but I feel confident in the players."
