LONDON — The beautiful game was exactly that as amputee footballers took to a pitch in the heart of the city to challenge the men who made their prosthetics.
Players on both sides of the field share a deep passion for the game Americans call soccer, and a deep respect for what their opponents have done. Three of the men on the field lost limbs to the game they love, and feel a debt of gratitude to the prosthetists who helped them keep playing. James Catchpole, who organizes an amputee team based in north London and in this game played for the amputees’ “all-star” team the LA Spurs, sees the game against the Roehampton Prosthetists as a win-win.
“In a way, it reflects badly on them if we lose,” he said. “It will mean they haven’t supplied us with good enough legs.”
Amputee football is growing in the United Kingdom, with teams popping up from East Anglia to Sheffield to Cardiff. Dean Heffer, sports officer for the Limbless Association, wants to get the British game in line with the internationally recognized version of amputee football, then establish a British team. The goal is to see amputee football recognized as a Paralympic sport.
The mutual respect these men have for each other comes through in the pre-match banter as Heffer teased Andrew Rees, a prosthetist at Queen Mary Hospital in London.
“Make sure you put the foot on the right way,” Heffer joked as Rees helps him into his gear.
“No promises,” Rees replied with a grin.
Teasing aside, the skill shown in a game featured in the documentary series Ford’s Fantastic World of Football is impressive indeed. Some of the players wear their prosthetics and others move about on crutches, but all show remarkable grace and fluidity of movement. These guys want people to know that amputee athletes are extraordinarily skilled, and no less driven than their able-bodied compatriots.
“What we’re doing is quite abnormal, which is showing people that you can play football with one leg and actually be as good if not better than able-bodied opposition,” Catchpole said.
Michael Ishiguzo proved the point. He was a professional footballer in Nigeria and lost his leg due to an improperly treated fracture suffered during a game. Yet he’s lost none of the passion, or skill, that made him a top-tier player in his homeland. He has no trouble confusing opponents with beautifully executed feints and defense-splitting passes.
“The quality of football in this team is top notch,” Ishiguzo said. “The speed, balance, passing and agility are phenomenal.”
The two teams played three half-hour games at a staggering pace, with the Spurs winning two of three matches.
“This is a much tougher game than last year,” Rees said. “They’ve improved ten-fold. They were pressing us hard up the pitch and just quicker to every second ball. I’m just glad we managed to win one.”
Amputee Soccer Players Face Their Prosthetists — On the Field
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Amputee Soccer Players Face Their Prosthetists — On the Field
