Clyde Powerchair FC

Clyde FC are delighted to announce a new partnership with Glasgow’s Powerchair Football Club, which from now will be called Clyde Powerchair FC.

Powerchair football is a mixed gender sport that can be played by people of all ages in a power wheelchair. It is a fast-moving sport which has been played in various forms across the world since the 1970s.

Clyde Powerchair FC will have two bases; Craigholme School in Glasgow and St Maurice’s School in Cumbernauld. With over 20 footballers already attached to the club, The Bully Wee is certainly joining forces with a great team. This year will also see the inaugural Powerchair Scottish Cup which will take place at the Kelvin Hall in November and that is further evidence of the growing success of the sport.

Powerchair football started in Glasgow in 2010 with the launch of a pilot programme through Active Schools Glasgow and Renfrewshire, to determine if there was an interest in the sport. Early sessions were attended by a handful of players but steadily grew to attract over 25 registered players. In early 2012, work began to move from a local authority run session to a standalone club, which brought about the partnership with Clyde FC.

Powerchair coach and volunteer Stuart Aitchison commented, “The interest in powerchair football has been astonishing since we began the pilot phase in 2010. We have participants travelling from as far as England, Ayrshire, Port Glasgow and all across West Central Scotland to take part in training sessions. The partnership with Clyde FC and the Scottish FA can only help raise the profile of the sport and allow even more powerchair users the opportunity to participate in Scotland’s national game.”

Clyde community director Gordon Thomson stated, “The club would like to thank the SFA and Active Schools for their backing, coaches Kathleen Toal, Stuart Aitchison and Stephen Osborne for their commitment, the Southside School of Football and in particular Clyde supporter Robert Sweeney, who has been the driving force in bringing this initiative to become part of the club’s growing community football operation.”

Robert added, “When I became involved with the powerchair football group at Craigholme at the end of June, I realised that we and Clyde FC should be promoting this sport throughout Scotland so that the majority have the opportunity to take part not just the minority in the Glasgow area. Now, with Clyde FC and SFA support, we are growing and spreading to Cumbernauld to involve players from North Lanarkshire and I am sure that within a couple of years we will have a full Scottish league structure.”

Clyde FC is proud to become part of the growth of powerchair football and will work to help raise its profile and participation.

Clyde Powerchair Football Club runs in association with; Active Schools Glasgow and Active Schools North Lanarkshire.