England's blind footballers target Euros success, followed by Rio 2016
England’s blind football team are on a quest to take gold at the 2015 European Championships and secure qualification to next year’s Paralympic Games.
The road to Rio would be a form of redemption for a side scarred by recent painful memories.
“The players have been through it all,” 25-year-old assistant coach Adam Bendall told the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS).
“The journey we have all been on as a group, the highs and various lows, is unbelievable.
“To keep on going and working to try to improve, after falling down so many times, is testament to so many people’s characters.”
England begin blind football campaign
After a strong showing at the 2010 World Championships, England’s results dipped dramatically with underwhelming performances at the London Paralympics in 2012 and the European Championships a year later, at which they finished last.
An overhaul of both the coaching setup and its funding, with the Football Association now key partners, has seen the side revitalise and push for silverware at this week’s competition in Hereford.
The Three Lions moved into Friday’s semi-finals thanks to a Tuesday night 2-0 win over old rivals Germany.
“We have to finish in the top two of this tournament to qualify for Rio 2016,” said England’s vice-captain Dan English, capped 77 times by his country.
“But I’m not aiming for a top two finish. We want top spot, which has been long overdue for us after having been on a really good run of results over the last 12 to 18 months.
“We’ve prepared extremely well for this, so I’m confident we can go all the way and win that gold medal.”
Reigning champions Spain stand in England’s way, along with a host of other strong opponents including Turkey and France.
But the Spanish pose the established threat, and in the last 12 months England have sought to match their approach to deaf football by offering professional contracts to a number of key players.
“The players are so fit,” remarks Bendall. “Since being able to turn professional they are stronger, fitter, more agile and they have that time away from camps to work on their own games.
“So when they come back to camps we can work on formations and tactics, trusting that away from here they will do their own strength and conditioning.”
And English agrees: “Being a professional takes the stress of having to find paid work elsewhere away, and allows us to concentrate solely on training, recovering, travelling and playing.”
Talk of Rio is almost inevitable, with the Paralympic Games in Brazil just over 12 months away.
But a tough tournament in Herefordshire lies ahead, and both English and Bendall insist their focus remains first and foremost on the European Championships.
The setup at the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) is excellent, with all the facilities a major international sports event demands. And as the host nation, England have benefited from some vocal partisan support.
“The atmosphere here has been giving me goosebumps”
“You hear the crowd, the anthems… people have always supported blind football and we are really lucky that so many people have such a keen interest," admits Bendall.
“Being hosts here is brilliant, and we’ve had so much support during our games. It gives you a lift, but of course there comes with it a bit of pressure.
“I come from round here, and I can look up into the crowd and recognise a few people. I care so much about blind football and I want it to come across well and for us to put on a little bit of a show, to demonstrate we are really on top of our sport.”
Ironically, the convention in blind football is that the crowd, however passionate, must remain quiet during periods of play.
It is vital, to allow the players on the pitch to hear each other as well as the ball itself, which is filled with ball bearings and emits a noise that makes it easier for the footballers to locate.
But if you happen to catch England play live, or watch them online, you will certainly hear 6’7” English’s commanding voice booming across the outfield.
“I am loud on the pitch, louder than most of the other lads,” he concedes.
“I am vice-captain, and I’m a backman playing in defence. It’s important to be loud and forceful, to give instructions to your teammates further up the pitch so they do what you want.
“You’re relaying tactics from the staff and the goalkeeper, so you have to ensure you’re team are following orders.
“Also,” English admits, “I am quite a loud character anyway off the pitch…”
Bendall laughs. “I have been working in the sport of blind football for six years, having started at the RNC, and some of the first people I started teaching are now playing blind football for England. I class many of our players as my best friends – I spend so much time with them and are such great people and a brilliant laugh.
“The players are dealing with the pressure and have handled it really well. We have come into this and have been building ourselves up, but in recent weeks we’ve been a bit que sera sera, what will be will be.
“We are trying to build for the future, but obviously as sportspeople we want to win this competition and then go to Rio. We are going in the right direction.”
