Celtic Storm is Cornwall’s Powerchair Football team. It has a team in both the Premiership and Championship leagues and was set up by local parents of people with disabilities who use a wheelchair, unlike other clubs established by special schools or sports development officers.

 

The game is played in power wheelchairs on a basketball court in sports halls and there are four players in each team on the court and subs on the bench. The Wheelchair Football Association, with formal rules adapted from standard FA laws, manages the leagues


In a special initiative, organised by club coach Kevin Barnes and Ray Brown, Referees Officer for the Cornwall FA, Celtic Storm agreed to use the Cornwall Young Referees' Group to referee for the Wheelchair FA.



Along with Ray, Ashley Partridge from the young referees group and Alex Barnes travelled with the team to broaden their skills in this growing sport which is organised nationally by the Wheelchair Football Association, who recently took a national team to the Powerchair World Cup in Japan and set up the new leagues to bring regional teams together.

 

A referees' course for the Wheelchair FA will be held in Cornwall, where all members of the Young Referees' Group will be trained in the laws of the Wheelchair FA.


Tim Kellett, Chairman of Celtic Storm, said: "It was a brilliant opportunity for Cornwall to lead the way with its local FA by bringing new resources into the game.


"We need new referees nationally and anyone coming to see players, from Newcastle to Falmouth, in a full on competition will be blown away by the skills and excitement of the game.”


Ray Brown, Referees Officer from the Cornwall County FA, added: “It’s a great opportunity for our young referees to further broaden their skills and to work with players at the top end of their sport.

"We are keen to work with all the areas of football as we strive to develop the referees of the future and hopefully this will provide the catalyst for other County FAs to work with the Wheelchair FA.”


The club will continue to develop only with local support and new members. It desperately needs local support and funding and has a big aim to fundraise for special sports powerchairs, so we can compete on an equal basis with other clubs. These chairs cost over £4,000 each.  If you can help or want to try the game, please contact the chairman on 01326 2105345.