The EE FA Disability Cup sees some of the best para footballers in the country compete in six finals across two days, with all the matches being shown live on TNT Sport and streamed for free on discovery+.
The 2024 finals, which were the largest competition of its kind, ensured players within impairment-specific football had a national FA competition to call their own with a total of six formats of the game competing.
Day one involved the Amputee Cup Final, Partially Sighted Cup Final, and Blind Cup Final. Day two showcased the Cerebral Palsy Cup Final, Powerchair Cup Final and Deaf Cup Final.
Saturday 29 June
Amputee Cup Final (kick-off 10am)
Everton FC 2-3 Portsmouth FC
It was Portsmouth who lifted the first trophy of the FA Disability Cup weekend after an enthralling 3-2 win over Everton.
Rhyce Ramsden opened the scoring for Everton within two minutes, beating his marker and tucking a strike under the goalkeeper.
Che Gray then pulled one back for Portsmouth with a spectacular curling effort. Jamie Tregaskiss then put Portsmouth into the lead with a long range deflected effort.
Everton then missed a chance to equalise from a spot-kick, yet TJ Yates extended Portsmouth's lead with a powerful header from a corner.
Sean Jackson pulled one back for Everton in stoppage time, but Portsmouth held on to lift the trophy.
Partially Sighted Cup (kick-off 12.15pm)
Birmingham Futsal 0-1 Scorpions Futsal
Scorpions edged a thrilling Partially Sighted Cup Final 1-0 at St. George’s Park.
Both sides forged a number of chances to open the deadlock, but the defences stood firm.
However, Adam Lione's drilled strike into the bottom corner in the remaining minutes sealed the trophy for the Scorpions.
Blind Cup Final (kick-off 2.15pm)
The Royal National College for the Blind 2-3 West Bromwich Albion Blind FC
West Brom lifted the Blind Cup trophy, after an eventful final.
Azeem Amir opened the scoring for RNC, working a great set-piece into the side of the goal.
Paul Iyobo drilled in a leveller for West Brom, yet Amir returned RNC's lead with some silky footwork before a stunning finish.
Iyobo then pegged one back again with a powerful effort, and was given the opportunity to score his hat-trick from the spot, which he took with aplomb.
After a red card for RNC, Iyobo missed from the spot, but his hat-trick was enough to see West Brom hold on for the victory.
Sunday 30 June
Cerebral Palsy Cup Final (kick-off 9.30am)
Chelsea Foundation 3-6 Norwich City Community Sports Foundation FC
Day two started with a goal-fest in the Cerebral Palsy Cup Final.
It was a disappointing start for Chelsea, with an own-goal scored within six minutes, and then Norwich City's Josh Wilde finished emphatically off the bar.
Chelsea then scored another own goal, and Norwich's Ben Armstrong stretched the lead to four with his first-touch strike after coming on as a substitute.
Finn Pitchers open the scoring for Chelsea at 45 minutes, but Bradley Taylor-Buglione slotted home moments later to make it 5-1.
Chelsea responded with a curling strike, and then a Pitchers converted penalty, but Liam Irons tapped home from close range to secure the trophy for Norwich City.
Powerchair Cup Final (kick-off 11.25am)
Aspire PFC 0-2 West Bromwich Albion PFC
Marcus Harrison sealed the title for West Bromwich Albion with the game's final touch.
Valentino Zegarelli opened the scoring for West Brom, underlining their terrific start.
Zegarelli and Harrison had further opportunities in the game, but Aspire's defences stood firm until the final seconds.
Deaf Cup Final (kick-off 1.15pm)
Farsley Celtic Deaf FC 1-2 St John's Deaf FC
In a close contest, St John's edged Farsley Celtic to retain the Deaf Cup trophy.
St John's opened the scoring, and Byron Down doubled their lead on 30 minutes.
Farsley pulled one back through Joe Dixon with 18 minutes left, but despite hitting the bar in the final foray, Farsley could not find the equaliser and St John's held on for the win.
The 2023 FA Disability Cup saw some of the best para footballers in the country compete in six finals across two days, with all the matches being shown live on BT Sport and streamed for free on YouTube (watch below).
Partially Sighted Cup Final
Merseyside Blind & V.I FC 1-2 Scorpions FC
It was Scorpions Futsal Club who lifted the first trophy of the FA Disability Cup weekend after an enthralling 2-1 win over Merseyside Blind & V.I FC.
Scorpions took the lead after five minutes when an impressive set-piece move and through ball from England international Adam Lione allowed Daniel Angus to score with an exquisite back-hell flick.
They then doubled their lead shortly before half-time when a mistake in defence allowed Scorpions’ exceptional captain Tom Lamb to dart in and poke home.
League champions Merseyside continued to look for a way back into the game but they were met by a man in fine form in the shape of the Scorpions goalkeeper.
With six minutes remaining, former Scorpions player Harry MacDonald set up a tense finish when he swivelled and found the bottom corner.
But Scorpions managed to hold on to lift their first trophy at the FA Disability Cup since 2019.
Amputee Cup Final
Everton edged a thrilling Amputee Cup Final 4-2 at St. George’s Park’s 3G pitch after a frantic second half.
Everton took the lead on 23 minutes with a moment of magic, as Rhyce Ramsden flicked the ball over the defender’s head, Liam Burbridge back-heeled the ball back into his path and Ramsden applied the finish.
Ramdsen grabbed his second early in the second half with another good finish before a spell of real drama and goals. Portsmouth reduced the deficit moments later when TJ Yates scored following a smart turn but Everton went straight down the other end and made it 3-1 through Dave Tweed.
But Portsmouth did the same immediately, as captain Ray Westbrook curled in a free-kick from the halfway line to set up a tense finish.
Everton made sure of the win in injury-time though when Ramsden turned provider and released Jamie Oakey who converted well.
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Tweed said: “It has been a big week, especially for the England Amputee lads who came back from the Nations League as champions. That winning mentality has come through in today’s performance.”
Blind Cup Final
Brighton & Hove Albion ensured there would be a new name on the trophy as they beat Royal National College for the Blind 1-0 at St. George’s Park.
It was a first half which was largely dominated by two players: Brighton’s Hamad Ebrahim and RNC’s Rainbow Mbunagi.
Ebrahim was a threat throughout the first half and scored the opening goal of the game when he dribbled from deep and fired in a powerful left-footed strike which left goalkeeper Katie Christopher with no chance.
RNC carried a threat though, with Mbunagi having several efforts in the opening period, but it was Robin Williams who went closest to scoring the game’s second goal, as the Brighton man rattled the post with another powerful shot.
Mbunagi looked set to equalise in the second period when he burst through on goal but was unable to connect with his shot when through one-on-one.
Blind footballing icon Darren Harris almost scored a trademark goal when he dribbled past several defenders and struck towards the bottom corner but Christopher made an excellent stop.
There was enough time for Mbunagi to have another impressive run and shot wide but in the end, Brighton held on to win the FA Disability Cup title for the first time, with Christopher making further saves to keep the score at 1-0 late on.
You can watch all of the action from day one below:
Cerebral Palsy Cup Final
North East and Yorkshire CP made it three consecutive FA Disability Cup titles with an impressive 4-0 win over league champions Norwich City.
NE & Yorkshire took the lead on 12 minutes when Jack Fox Hockney cut inside onto his left foot and found the bottom corner.
Fox Hockney was arguably having the biggest impact on the first half and had a few efforts towards goal, with England international Ethan Day also flashing a shot wide.
And it was Fox Hockney who created NE & Yorkshire’s second goal when he laid the ball off to captain Dan Dalby and his powerful shot beat Norwich goalkeeper Max Waters.
It was then 3-0 in the second half when a well-worked set-piece routine saw Sheridan Linley send a low drive goalwards and Edward Dyson produced a classy back-heel flick to score from close range.
Dalby was having an increasing impact on the match and he would have grabbed a second goal had it not been for a superb save by Waters.
Norwich, who only launched their CP team two years ago after seeing the FA Disability Cup, searched for a way back into the match, with Ben Armstrong having a goal-bound shot blocked.
But in the final moments, NE & Yorkshire made it 4-0 when Harry Harland crossed for Gwilyum Elliot Hobson and he produced another excellent back-heel to score, to make it four FA Disability Cup titles in five years for NE & Yorkshire.
Powerchair Cup Final
An emotional Jon Bolding dedicated Aspire’s fourth FA Disability Cup title to his deceased father John Snr after he scored both goals during the 2-0 victory over Newcastle United.
Newcastle defended resolutely for the opening half an hour as Aspire struggled to find a way through some impressive defending.
Newcastle teenager Oli Crawshaw battled well with Bolding in midfield, against a player who has been playing powerchair football longer than he has been alive.
But it was to be powerchair star Bolding who would be the match-winner as he grabbed both goals.
England internationals Dan McLellan and Jon Bolding both had a string of efforts saved or blocked in the first half before the breakthrough finally came midway through the second period.
The opener arrived after Ethan Fisher accidentally backed into Brad Bates in the penalty area, leaving Bolding to convert the spot-kick.
Bolding, who has more than 440 goals to his name already, then scored a second with four minutes remaining when he fired in from the halfway line.
Bolding, who was wearing a vest with a picture of his father on it, said: “I lost my dad last year and he followed me everywhere, so this is for him and the whole season was for him.
Deaf Cup Final
St John’s became national deaf champions after securing revenge against Farsley Celtic following the agonising defeat they suffered 12 months ago.
Last year’s Deaf final at the FA Disability Cup was won by Farsley Celtic through a last-minute winner but St John’s left little to chance on the 3G pitch at St. George’s Park this afternoon with a dominant display.
St John’s took the lead on 12 minutes when Abdou Jobe latched on to Oliver Manoochehri’s headed pass and volleyed into the bottom corner.
The London club, the oldest Deaf team in the world, then doubled their advantage just before the half-hour mark when Manoochehri laid the ball off to Matthew McQueeney but rather than take the shot on himself, he gave it back to Manoochehri to smash the ball into the roof of the net.
St John’s had dominated the first half but England international Will Palmer fired a warning shot just before the break.
However, in injury-time, St John’s all but ensured the trophy would be theirs with a third goal. Again, Manoochehri was involved, as he brought the ball down and passed to Rylan Casey, who arrowed a low drive into the bottom corner.
Farsley Celtic enjoyed more possession in the second half but still struggled to create many clear-cut chances.
They were offered a glimmer of hope with six minutes remaining when Wales captain Sam Evans tripped on the ball and then pulled down England international Cavell Donaldson for a penalty.
But his Para Lions team-mate Joe Dixon’s spot-kick was saved by Andrew Reay – who is not normally a goalkeeper and had yet to touch the ball with his hands after coming on as an injury replacement.
You can watch all of the action from day two below:
The 2022 FA Disability Cup was a huge success, with plenty of action taking place across a bright and sunny weekend at St George’s Park.
The sixth edition of the tournament consisted of six impairment-specific cup finals, three on each day, and all broadcasted live on BT Sport.
The partially sighted, amputee and blind finals were up first on the Saturday 11 June, with the cerebral palsy, Powerchair and deaf finals occurring on Sunday 12 June. Each athlete was a credit to their sport and provided huge inspiration to those both attending live on the day and the many watching at home.
2022 Results
Saturday 11 June
PARTIALLY SIGHTED FINAL – Birmingham Futsal 5-1 Merseyside Futsal
A comprehensive and well-deserved victory for Birmingham Futsal helped them win the Partially Sighted final for the second year running and become the first champions of the weekend. Birmingham skipper Luke Darnell gave the Blues a two-goal cushion at half time with a fantastic finish before the game was well and truly sealed in the second half with three further strikes.
AMPUTEE FINAL – Manchester City Amputees 1-0 Portsmouth Amputees
A narrow victory for Manchester City Amputees on their first attempt in the FA Disability Cup will have meant a lot to the team, due to their League Cup loss in the last 30 seconds of extra time against the same opponents just weeks earlier. Liam Burbidge’s goal in the second half settled a tight affair for the Citizens, but it was the impressive individual performance of Mickey Chambers which caught the eye and rightly earned him the player of the match award.
BLIND FINAL – Royal National College (RNC) for the Blind Hereford 2-2 Brighton and Hove Albion Blind FC (RNC won 1-0 on penalties)
After three years away from the sport, England’s highest capped para and blind footballer, Darren Harris, proved to be the matchwinner via a penalty shootout in an end-to-end game to bring the trophy to RNC Hereford. Recognised before the contest with a golden cap for over 150 appearances for England and playing well into his 40s for his country, Harris, who scored both his side’s goals in normal time, was the only player to convert from the spot after 40 minutes ended all square.
Sunday 12 June
CEREBRAL PALSY FINAL – CP North West 4-4 North East and Yorkshire CP FC (North East and Yorkshire CP FC win 5-4 on penalties)
A pulsating first game to start the second day of the FA Disability Cup 2022 finished with a win for North East and Yorkshire CP, who retained their crown after sudden death penalties decided the outcome. They took control of the tie after a breakaway finish and a defensive mix-up, but CP North West hit back to level before half-time after a couple of quick-fire penalties were awarded – with the first missed by Jayden Kenyon (who later went on to complete a hat-trick) but the second converted - Kenyon doubling his tally to equalise for 2-2. Normal time ended after each team added two more goals apiece, but Ethan Day kept his cool from the spot to give North East and Yorkshire CP the trophy for the second successive year.
POWERCHAIR FINAL – Northern Thunder 1-1 West Bromwich Albion PFC (Northern Thunder won 2-1 on penalties)
Northern Thunder made it third time lucky as a penalty shootout secured them the cup for the very first time. Sam Smith opened the scoring just before half-time for Northern Thunder with a well-worked passing move, but Matt Gilbert hit back for West Brom in the second period. With extra-time unable to determine a winner, it came down to spot-kicks which ultimately resulted in happiness and plenty of relief for Northern Thunder, seeing as they had been in the final twice before and had lost on both occasions.
DEAF FINAL – Farsley Celtic Deaf FC 3-2 St. John’s Deaf FC
Another entertaining match-up concluded the weekend as Farsley Celtic scored a dramatic last-minute winner in the first ever deaf final to spark scenes of jubilant celebrations for those in green. Farsley Celtic went 2-0 up in the first half and were seemingly in the driving seat, but St John’s rallied after the interval and got themselves back on equal terms with two goals in the last 15 minutes. With the game heading towards extra-time, Kieran Carey, who had opened the scoring earlier on, poked home in injury-time to make a little bit of history after a superb turn and nutmeg to get himself clear.
POWERCHAIR FINAL – Aspire PFC 0-2 West Bromwich Albion PFC
After a tight goal-less draw after normal time, the game was decided on penalties, with Chris Gordon and Marcus Harrison sealing the title for the Baggies.
CEREBRAL PALSY FINAL - North East & Yorkshire 5-2 CP North West
Two goals apiece from Cameron Osburn and Jack Fox-Hockney along with a Josh Power own goal were enough to secure the title for North East & Yorkshire. Sam Dewhirst and Lewis Tupman netted the goals for CP North West.
PARTIALLY SIGHTED FINAL - Scorpion Futsal Club 1-3 Birmingham Futsal
First-half goals from Nik Acton and a brace from Harry MacDonald set Birmingham on their way to victory, with Scorpions pulling back a consolation goal from Bailey pack after the break.
Sunday 18 July
AMPUTEE FINAL - Peterborough United Amputees 0-0 Portsmouth Amputees (Peterborough win 6-5 on penalties)
BLIND FINAL - RNC Hereford 1-1 Merseyside Blind & VI FC (RNC Hereford win 2-1 on penalties)
A goal from Robin Williams put Merseyside ahead in the first half, only for Dan English to equalise soon after. The tie couldn't be settled in normal time though, leading to a shootout and the title heading to Hereford.
St. George’s Park played host to ten teams across five disciplines in a thrilling weekend of football.
Five hard-fought finals, which included Amputee, Blind, Cerebral Palsy, Partially Sighted and Powerchair football, were contested by some of the nation’s most successful grassroots teams who competed to be crowned national champions in their respective discipline.
The players competing across the weekend were cheered on by a jubilant crowd of friends and family who joined media outlets such as Sky Sports News and ITV in celebrating the importance of disability football and the impact it has on those that play.
In the Partially Sighted Final, North West Scorpions were quickly out of the traps and clocked up a five-goal lead by half time against Birmingham Futsal. They added another four after the break, but Birmingham also found their shooting boots and pulled four back themselves, with braces for John McDougal and Luke Darnel. For the Scorpions, Jack Pearce, Bailey Pack, Neil Atkinson (3) and Niall Dempsey (4) were the scorers.
Another North West team were winners in the Cerebral Palsy Final, as CP North West FC ran out convincing 8-1 victors against North East Yorkshire Disability FC. Goals from Riley DeSouza (3), Ethan Stone and four for George Fletcher were enough, while Josh Percival netted a consolation goal for his side.
In the Powerchair Final, Aspire FC were inspired by Jon Bolding’s hat-trick and a further strike from Rosie Hodgson against Northern Thunder, who responded through Jack Maxwell.
On Sunday, Everton Amputees FC lifted the Cup following a 4-1 win over Portsmouth, thanks to goals from captain Steven Johnson, George Blackshaw and a double from David Tweed. Pompey’s response came from Terence Yates.
Sunday was also the Blind Cup Final, where Merseyside scored twice in the second half through Azeem Amir and Roy Turnham to beat West Bromwich Albion.
The FA Disability Cup returned to St George’s Park in a newly expanded format, with six cup finals and an exhibition of frame football take place over the weekend of 16-17 June.
First up was the Powerchair cup final where Aspire PFC were looking to retain their title for a record third successive season.
But it was West Bromwich Albion who were victorious, securing the title in their first appearance at St George’s Park thanks to a single goal from Luke Kelly.
Next up were Chelsea Blues, who were looking to go one better than the previous two years where they had finished runners up. In a close encounter it was North East & Yorkshire Disability FC who ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Charlie Needler and James Williams.
The final game of day one saw the debut of Partially Sighted football within The FA Disability Cup. North West Scorpions faced off against Birmingham Futsal and looked the brighter side in the first half, cheered on by a vociferous section of the crowd but ultimately it was the experienced Birmingham Futsal that won the day with a 4-1 victory. Goals came from Harry Gibbons (2), Luke Darnel and John MacDougal with Scorpions consolation coming from Bailey Pack.
Day two commenced with a repeat of the 2017 Amputee cup final which saw Peterborough United Amputee FC retaining their title with closely fought 3-2 victory again Everton Amputee FC thanks to goals from Harry Ash, Ben Houghton and Gary Marheineke. Everton’s goals came courtesy of Gordon Metcalfe and Stuart Sephton.
Next up was the deaf girls cup final which saw a comprehensive victory for reigning champions Derby County Community Trust against Braidwood Trust School for the Deaf.
West Bromwich Albion and RNC Leicestershire Foxes brought things to a close with a very tightly fought game which saw the teams separated by a single own goal which ensured RNC Leicestershire Foxes retained their Blind cup final title for another year.
The FA Disability Cup Finals day returned to St. George's Park for a second successive year on 6 May 2017.
Five finals – powerchair, cerebral palsy, blind, deaf and amputee – were showcased at the national football centre with hundreds watching on.
First up was the Powerchair category, in which reigning champions Aspire PFC defended their title with a 2-1 win over Birmingham side Villa Rockets PFC, who featured 13-year-old Bradley Addison.
The Cerebral Palsy final swiftly followed with CP United Seniors running out 9-1 victors over Chelsea Whites to claim their second successive title.
Following this, arguably one of the most intense games of the day was the Blind Football Final. Merseyside Blind FC were narrowly beaten 2-3 by RNC Shrews in which hat-trick hero and England player Robin Williams helped lead his team to victory.
The penultimate match of the day profiled some of the younger participants with U16 Derby County Community Trust Girls Deaf side beating Braidwood School’s U16 Girls Deaf Team 6-4.
Peterborough United Amputee FC, the reigning National Amputee League champions, beat Everton Amputee FC 3-2 to conclude a fine day’s action.
St. George’s Park hosted the inaugural FA Disability Cup finals day on 7 May 2016 where the culmination of each partner’s cup competition took place with three cup finals being hosted back-to-back.
The partner competitions were the Wheelchair FA National League, CP Sport National Cerebral Palsy National League and The National Blind Football League.
First up was the powerchair final, where Herefordshire-based Aspire beat Northumberland’s Northern Thunder through a single second-half goal from England captain Jonathan Bolding in an incredibly tight affair.
The cerebral palsy final saw the national league’s northern conference champions, CP United from Manchester, steamroll their way to the title with an impressive 9-0 victory over southern conference champions Chelsea.
The final game of the day – the blind final – saw Brandon Coleman open the scoring for RNC Shrews only for late drama to follow. Sporting Club Albion came from behind thanks to a Roy Turnham screamer with only seconds to go to force penalties, which Sporting Club Albion went on to win 2-1.
England Deaf Football (EDF) was formally launched in June 2003 at Old Trafford the home of Manchester United Football Club. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength. Deaf Football is one of the largest Deaf sports in England.
Since its launch, EDF and the Deaf Football community have seen hundreds of Deaf matches being played across the country.
The winners of the semi-finals at the cup knockout will qualify to play at St. George’s Park as part of The FA Disability Cup Finals day.
The Partially Sighted Football League (PSFL) was formed over 30 years ago and has since built links with both British Blind Sport (BBS) and the FA to become the only league that caters for partially sighted adults.
The PSFL holds eight central venue fixture dates per season between the months of September and April, these consist or six league and two cups and are usually held at Futsal venues across the country. The league caters for both male and female individuals over the age of 16 and has one division comprising six teams.
The winners of league and the league cup will qualify to play at St. George’s Park as part of The FA Disability Cup Finals day.
The league consists of eight teams and runs from October to May, including both a league and league cup competition.
Due to the teams being spread throughout the country, the league consists of a north conference and a south conference that each league team takes turns in hosting. The teams take part in regional central-venue fixtures throughout the year and then teams from both conferences come together for the play-off finals to decide the overall league champions.
The winners of the league and cup both progress to St. George’s Park for FA Disability Cup Finals weekend.
The league was formed in advance of the 2008-09 season and consists of both a league and cup competition. The league committee works closely with The FA to support the development of the game and to offer a competitive route for blind players.
The league runs a monthly central-venue fixture programme based at the Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford, with the cup competition traditionally taking place as the final event of the season in April.
There are three teams in the league, with players allocated to a team based on their involvement in a number of training hubs that train on a weekly basis across the country. The Brian Aarons Cup is played at the end of the season over a one-day format with teams taking part in a number of fixtures on the day.
The winners of the league and the Brian Aarons Cup then qualify to play at St. George’s Park as part of The FA Disability Cup Finals day.
The league was established in its current guise prior to the 2015-16 season through a partnership between the FA and CP Sport. Prior to this, the FA regional CP centres of excellence were a key part of the FA talent pathway and they participated in monthly fixtures.
However, with the continued evolution of the talent pathway, it became clear that a national league for grassroots footballers was required.
The FA worked with CP Sport and County FAs to establish a league format and network of CP football teams across the country, many of whom are now embedded within pre-existing England Football Accredited Clubs.
A voluntary based league committee structure is now in place and the leagues comprises nine adult teams, with junior provision a big priority moving forwards. The teams take part in regional and national fixtures through September to May. Teams from the league also compete for the national cup competition in February.
The winning team from the national cup will compete against the league winner at the FA Disability Cup finals.
To find out more information please click here or follow the league on Twitter.
The Wheelchair Football Association’s national league was established for the 2005-06 season, with six teams competing at three weekend events.
The WFA has worked with the FA to develop the sport and provide a complete player pathway from grassroots participation to national league competition and international selection.
The national league competition comprises of Premiership and Championship divisions with 24 teams competing over a series of 11 weekends.
The events are held at the Lee Westwood Sports Centre at Nottingham Trent University. This season the competition is sponsored by Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The national competition structure is supported by six regional league competitions and a play-off process which sees teams promoted and relegated within the pyramid.
In 2011, the WFA Cup was launched. This is a competition that is open to all affiliated powerchair football clubs within England and operates on a home or away basis.
The first two rounds operate on a north and south divide, with Premiership teams receiving a bye into round two with the final taking place at St. George’s Park as part of the FA Disability Cup Finals weekend.
