Bradford City Football Club Ambassador Simon Hartley has recently supported the set up of a pan disability team at Risborough Rangers Juniors, just ten miles from Aylesbury where he spent many of his younger years.
Simon has worked with Bradford’s own well-established disability football club so knows first hand the benefits to the players.
Although Risborough Rangers is 200 miles away, Simon was inspired by the enthusiasm of the coaches to set up the team for 7-11 year old girls and boys. Earlier this month he took the long trip down to present the junior players with City Shirts at their first training session of this season.
Mr Hartley said: “I’ve seen here in Bradford that there is no doubt of the benefits to being involved in disability football, the extra confidence that is a gained and the skills they take forward into the future. My family home was in Aylesbury for a time and my father still lives there, a friend and local coach Mel Timberlake had kept me up to date with the teams news and I just felt I wanted to do something to show my support for them.”
Bradford Disability Liaison Officer Jaimie Dorward added: “There is a great of sense belonging when you are a part of a team and nothing unifies a team more than a strip, it’s fantastic support for this young team.”
"It is amazing that news of our team has travelled as far as Bradford," said Andy Forkgen, coach for Risborough disability team
"The team were absolutely delighted with the shirts and I am sure that this link with a Club as prestigious as Bradford City will be a tremendous boost to the team at the start of the season."