Energy woe for Lothian Wolves powerchair football team

Co-coach Steven Miller has revealed that the cost of charging the wheelchairs is, in some instances, proving challenging and with a special encounter on the horizon sponsorship would be particularly welcome.

Says Steven: “Our club, founded in 2016, caters for players with disabilities including cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy while one of our members fell victim to a particularly bad cycling accident.

“The Wolves currently rely on grant funding to help support the club financially and pay for venue hire (at Oriam) plus league fees and equipment etc. The cost of transporting chairs to match days and the cost of electrically charging those chairs all comes as an expense to the players.”

In March the club are hoping to travel to Yorkshire to compete in a friendly tournament hosted by Leeds Powerchair Football Club, a leading UK outfit who run four teams.

Steven adds: “This will be an amazing experience to play against high level opposition and we are delighted to be twinned with the Leeds club. We will have to factor in transport costs and accommodation while it is often necessary for players to be accompanied by a carer so rrent fund raising is necessary.”

Powerchair football is played indoors with teams of four-a-side, both genders, although match day squads can be double that size. It is the only active team participation sport for people who use electric wheelchairs. Wolves initially had a leg up with grant aid from Lothian Disability Sport.

From the outset the club has been run by John Taylor as well as Steven Miller, competing in the Scottish Championship division in 2017 before being promoted to the Premiership a year later. A highlight remains last year’s League Cup win when going through the tournament without conceding a goal although the final went to a tense penalty shoot-out against an all-international Clyde Alba when Chris Jacquin saved the last penalty.

Chris has been recognised, along with Tom Pettigrew, by the Scottish Development team and senior team at a Home Nations tournament in Belfast. Tom was also selected for the Geneva Cup competition last August where in reaching the final, where they lost to Belgium after encountering Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Italy and Germany. Success meant the Scots have qualified for the European Championship in 2025.

Two more Wolves – Kieran Steer and Tyler McLelland – have been invited to train with the Scotland squad ahead of this year’s Home Nations tournaments in the Spring. Anyone able to assist the Wolves with sponsorship is invited to e-mail [email protected]