VI Sport | The England Women's Blind Football Team

On Saturday 21 May, VICTA was privileged to attend the England Women’s Blind Team’s first official training camp at the home of England football, St. George’s Park.

VICTA’s exclusive access granted us front row seats to witness this inspiring team of girls in action, showcasing their talent and teamwork. The team made great use of the Tony Larkin Pitch – a bespoke pitch for blind football and one of only two in existence in the UK.

We not only got to see them show off their ability, but also interviewed some of the team and coaches, getting a unique and insightful perspective on topics such as the journey of how they got here, the challenges they have faced and simply what they love about playing. You’ll find all the videos interviews at the bottom of this article so make sure you give them a listen and find out if Blind Football is for you!

The creation of the England Women’s Blind Team is part of The FA’s ‘Football Your Way’ plan, which launched back in October 2021. This is a project by the FA to develop and raise awareness of disability football and empower those involved to reach new heights.

The team come from a variety of backgrounds and are of differing ages, with some only having played blind football for a few months, but blind football has brought them together as a close-knit group ready to take on the challenges they face ahead. Their development and progression in such a short space of time has been remarkable, according to Coach, Adam Bendall and Female Para Development Coach, Lauren Asquith who have been massively impressed by the commitment of the group.

The team have been training ahead of their involvement in the upcoming Blind Football European championship tournament in Pescara, Italy, in which they will play a series of games. While still at a developmental stage, the team are taking this opportunity to improve and hone their skills ahead of the Blind Football World Championships which will be held in Birmingham in August 2023.

This day was a fantastic spotlight on the success of women with a vision impairment and all you can achieve through dedication and hard work.