This summer, players from Fulham FC Foundation’s Pan DisAbility took part in The Gunnersbury Cup, hosted by Brentford Community Sports Trust.
It was a sunny morning, as teams from different parts of the country, including Brighton, Norwich, Brentford and Chelsea, began to arrive and the football started being played.
Fulham team of Under-12s, led by coach Ciaran, were enjoying their matches and performing well as a unit. The team played six games in the group stages, making it through to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, despite being level for the majority of the game, the team were beaten 2-1 by a late goal to the eventual winners of the tournament, which meant they took the 3rd place trophy home.
While the U12s were finishing their tournament, Fulham’s U16s were arriving and raring to go. At the same time, the storm clouds were also gathering ominously. As fast as lightning Fulham, U16s jumped into an early lead against Chelsea as thunder filled the air and the rain began to fall. The fixture was paused and all teams returned to the dressing rooms to let the storm pass. Once the rain had relented, the football safely got back under way.
Just like the U12s, the U16s performed admirably and progressed to the semi-final before being beaten by the eventual winners of the tournament. The weather could not put a dampener on what had been a glorious day filled with fun and enjoyment.
“I loved playing there with Fulham. It made me feel very proud.” - Albert, Under 12 Pan DisAbility Player, Fulham FC Foundation
“Albert was delighted to be given the opportunity to represent Fulham in the Gunnersbury Cup. He really enjoyed the tournament and it was lovely watching how they all played as a team.” - Karine, Albert's Mum
“I thoroughly enjoyed coaching both our U12s and U16s teams at the Gunnersbury Cup. It was a beneficial experience for our participants to play against other Foundations and CCOs, such as Brentford and Brighton. It was a brilliant day and I enjoyed seeing our young people representing Fulham FC Foundation.” - Ciaran Roberts, DisAbility Foundation Coach, Fulham FC Foundation
If you are interested in learning more and representing Fulham FC Foundation in fixtures, then sign up to one of our regular DisAbility sessions! These include a wide variety of activities including our Active Autism, Down Syndrome Badgers and Pan Disability programmes.
Visit the link below or email disability@fulhamfc.com to find out more.
DisAbility Football at Fulham
