At the beginning of this most anticipated month of November, the England Partially Sighted Men’s team travelled to Turkey for the Futsal European Championship (Euros) in Turkey.
The team included: Jack Walsh, Myles Chadwick, and Ben Taylor as goalkeepers and Paul McHugh, Josh Pugh, Harry Macdonald, Andy Cahill, John McDougall, Jake Heasman, Doug Pratt, Adam Lione, Liam Spinks, and Bailey Pack as outfielders.
England opened the event with an elating match against Turkey, the hosts of the tournament. England won 3-0, with goals scored by Douglas Pratt and Josh Pugh, getting them off to a brilliant start.
The following day, the team played Italy and won 6-0, doubling their victorious streak and increasing team morale.
Next the team played Ukraine who unfortunately beat them 5-1.
England finished the group campaign with a match against Spain that was lost 5-1; the one goal was scored by Douglas Pratt in the last seconds off the match. The entire team worked hard and gave their all.
Lastly, England played an impeccable match against Turkey and won 5-1, in a battle for third place and claimed the bronze medal with open, well-deserved arms.
Twenty-year-old, Jake Heasman, who played his first Euros this November said, “I think the Euros was a great experience for the squad. We wanted to go on further than we did in the World Championships last year (we won silver in the World Cup), but unfortunately, we just couldn’t quite get over the line and win a bronze medal. I think my highlight was probably the bronze medal match as I think personally that is the best performance the team gave throughout the whole tournament. It was good to be a part of and I’m very grateful to have played in it.”
Futsal means so much to the men who played in this tournament and the opportunity to play for England despite the visual impairments that may have put them at a disadvantage in mainstream football are no longer a barrier on the court.
Jake Heasman said, “Football is a huge part of my life. Without football and futsal, I’m not sure I would be the person I am today or have some of the skills that I have been fortunate to develop away from the court.”
For a long time, disability has been a barrier to participation in sports because of the lack of understanding and accessibility but over the years, those walls have been breaking down, and nothing should stop anyone from pursuing sports.
“Take every opportunity you can and try to enjoy yourself in everything that you do. Everyone experiences difficult times at different stages so stay resilient and take care of yourself and others,” Jake Heasman said as encouragement to anyone with visual impairment who may look to play professionally one day.
However, this goes for anyone who wants to pursue a sporting career.
Congratulations to the England Partially Sighted Men's team for their incredible performance at the Euros!
