EVERY PLAYER COUNTS: Disability football festival hosted at DW Stadium

Over 60 young people from Wigan took part in a disability football festival at the DW Stadium yesterday, as a part of the Every Player Counts programme.

The Every Player Counts programme funded by the Wembley National Stadium Trust, supports the EFL Trust’s aim of increasing sports participation for all.

Club Trusts deliver activity through the programme, covering  a wide range of disabilities including wheelchair football, football for visual impairment, learning difficulties, amputees and autism. Giving many disabled people access to football for the first time.

Wigan Athletic Community Trust are one of 25 EFL Club Trusts who run the project, seeing coaches visit local schools on a weekly basis to provide free football and sports coaching for disabled young people.

Yesterday young people from four schools across Wigan had the opportunity to play on the DW Stadium pitch, a dream come true for many.

Leeane Conteh, Special Education Teacher at West Lancashire Community High School said: ”I was really impressed that the session was at the DW Stadium today and the students were delighted to get the chance of playing on the pitch.

”Usually they’d be doing their Maths and English lessons so it’s been great to see a different side to them out there today.

”’It’s brilliant to give every player an opportunity and teach them skills that they can then transfer into everyday life. It brings in respect, teamwork and important values.”

To find out more about Wigan Athletic Community Trust click here.

To find out more about Every Player Counts, please click here.