Belfast’s new disability inclusion team showing football is for all

“I haven’t seen anyone leave a training session unhappy. For some of the players, it means everything.”

A new disability inclusion team in Belfast are on a mission to show football is for all. Belfast City Inclusion formed earlier this year for players of all abilities, currently consisting of around 25 players ranging from 12-years-old to early 30s.

The team’s coaches have been involved in coaching within disability football in Northern Ireland for around a decade, and are keen to provide a space where players of all abilities are given priority and the chance to shine.

Despite the football, coach Darren McGuigan said the club is focused on providing a safe space for players to get out of the house, have a bit of fun, and create lasting friendships.

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Speaking to Belfast Live, Darren said: “Myself and our three other coaches, Kevin Gallagher, Mark Guthrie, and Jim Mulvenna, have all been involved in coaching and within disability football in Northern Ireland for around ten years now.

“We all share the same mentality that football should be for everybody, regardless of their race, religion, and certainly regardless of their ability. So we took the initative to set up our own football club so the players would be the priority.

“It’s about making opportunities that weren’t there 20 years ago. Our oldest player is in his early 30s, so he’s at the tail end of his playing days, but certainly for the younger ones, there wasn’t this opportunity to play football unless you were in a mainstream football team. If you had autism or Down syndrome, there wasn’t really much out there for the more vulnerable in society.”

Darren said the new club have had a lot of support from other disability football clubs around Northern Ireland, and once a month, all the teams get together for a blitz tournament.

He said the focus is on promoting disability sports as a whole, as a way to get people out of the house and playing a sport they enjoy.

“A lot of our guys have a wide range of disabilities, learning difficulties, and mental health challenges. We’re always very inviting for anyone, regardless of where you’re based in Belfast or outside of the city, it’s a place that’s open for everyone,” Darren added.

“We’re not just about the football and winning trophies, it’s about having fun. I love watching back the videos and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces, the laughing when we’re doing the fun little games. That’s what it should all be about.

“I’m not here to promote Belfast City Inclusion alone – I want to promote all disability football teams and disability sports Northern Ireland has to offer. We want to get the word out there to help other people, if you’re stuck in the house playing FIFA, why not come along to a training session and give it a go.

“The message we promote is that football is for all. We now have around 25 players, some as young as 12, and the oldest in their 30s. We have a wide range of abilities as well, and all our coaches have their disability coaching badges through the IFA so they’re well versed in how to tailor each session to the individual’s needs and the group’s needs.”

Each week, Belfast City Inclusion train on Monday and Wednesday evenings at Dunville Park or Grosvernor Leisure Centre. Darren said he loves being involved in the club, especially when he can see how much it means to the players.

He said: “I haven’t seen anyone leave a training session unhappy. We see everybody buzzing to come back for the next session.

“For some of the players, it means everything. Some are in a position where they can’t gain employment and can feel like they’re looked over, and they know they’re treated equally on the football pitch.

“What I really love about this particular group is everybody is there for each other, if somebody’s having a bad day, they’ll pick up the phone and speak to each other. They’ll have a chat on the training pitch, everybody really is there for each other.

“For those who are non-verbal and can’t speak up for themselves, their parents talk about how they’re jumping out of bed and can’t wait to put on their football boots to join in. It means so much to them, and it really brightens your day as a volunteer seeing firsthand the smiles and them really enjoying themselves.”

To find out more about Belfast City Inclusion and to get involved, click here.

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