City is becoming the capital for disability football opportunities

Football for those with a disability is, alongside the women's game, one of the fastest growing sports in Scotland - and the boom has induced a buzz among the Capital's young people with additional special needs.

Jack Martin, the Scottish Football Association's disability co-ordinator, says around 120 kids with disabilities attend the numerous weekly training and practice sessions that have sprung up in and around Edinburgh, and that his organisation's player pathway programme is opening up an increasing number of places and times for those aged 3-14 to play football.

"The Scottish FA's player pathway scheme means there are now more opportunities to play," explains Martin. "The women's game is increasing in popularity and more youngsters with a disability are playing, so much so that women's and disability football are the biggest growing sports in the country.

"One 120 kids through SEN schools (special educational needs institutions] are participating in weekly activity through Scottish FA programmes and regional disability squads."

The demand and popularity of the sport among those with disabilities has increased to such an extent that local clubs are considering forming teams, meaning a future organised league could be a distinct possibility. "Top clubs like Spartans have a model in place to include disability teams, and we've had some enquiries from other youth clubs," says Martin. "It's a great thing to be involved in and it's probably one of the best feelings when you see the kids running around with a smile when they score a goal."

Scotland's internationally successful cerebral palsy team is the icon of disability football in the country and the guiding light for the game's ambitious individuals and clubs. Now that youngsters with a disability have a role model, can more be done to promote the benefits that football can offer them?

"The cerebral palsy team, who finished fifth in the European Championships, is a great example of where disability football is," explains Martin. "In terms of making the sport as big as we can, there are coaches going into schools and the Hibs Community Foundation run Wednesday night sessions at Meadowbank, where there are easily 60 kids every week. We want players to feel part of something."

Indeed, many more opportunities exist for children in Edinburgh and the Lothians with varying disabilities. A School of Football is run at the shared facility of Forrester High and St Augustine's schools, development squad training takes place at Broughton High School for the better players, and blind futsal (an indoor game where players clap and the match ball contains a ringing bell to provide spatial and positional awareness) is practised weekly at Royal High School. "The most important thing is friendship," says Martin. "They learn how to socialise and to enjoy sport. They love competition - everyone wants to achieve and succeed - and gain an understanding of the rules and the difference between right and wrong."

Martin spoke to the Evening News from the Learning Disability Lothian Schools five-a-side football tournament at Gracemount Leisure Centre, which has been organised for the last five years by Lothian Disability Sport and local Active Schools co-ordinators.

Mark Gaffney, a Midlothian-based co-ordinator, says the Scottish FA's involvement will help pave a clear pathway for disability footballers to follow.

"It was another great event with great friendships and skills on show in abundance.

"But, the main point to get across is that there's now a football strategy for everyone to follow, from school football to regional football, and the partnership with the Scottish FA will certainly help with that," he added.

In the S1-2 final at Gracemount, Cedarbank overcame Donaldson's, while the outcome was reversed in the S3-4 category as Donaldson's claimed the prize in the older age group. The top-performing players from the tournament will represent a Lothian select team at the Scottish Disability Sport five-a-side national tournament, to be held at Sighthill in the city next month.