Powerchair team win regional league title
Brighton & Hove Albion Powerchair FC clinched their fourth consecutive South East Powerchair Football League Division One title after two final day draws.
BHAPFC are run by Albion in the Community (AITC), the official charity of Brighton & Hove Albion. They compete in both the South East Powerchair Football League and the Muscular Dystrophy UK Premiership, which is the highest powerchair league in the country.
The team finished eighth in the national league and won the South East Powerchair Football League Division One title following the last round of fixtures, which took place on Sunday at Crawley’s K2 leisure centre.
BHAPFC went into the final round of regional fixtures three points clear of second placed Sevenoaks PFC, with the Kent team still to play and a tricky looking game with Norwich City PFC to close the campaign.
However, a 1-1 draw in the top two clash all but secured the title, leaving BHAPFC three points clear with one game to go and enjoying a vastly superior goal difference. A 2-2 draw with Norwich City PFC saw the Albion confirmed as champions, with the team finishing just one point ahead of Sevenoaks PFC after the Kent team beat Evergreen PFC 2-1 in their last game.
Sam Elliott, who recently featured in Brighton & Hove Albion’s official kit launch, also ended the season as the league’s top scorer after taking his personal tally to 13 goals with the all-important strike during the draw with Sevenoaks PFC.
Paul Brackley, disability manager at AITC, was full of praise for the team after another successful season. He said, “Everyone at the charity is absolutely delighted for the BHAPFC players. To win the regional league for four seasons in a row is a brilliant achievement and the players fully-deserved to end the season at the top of the table.
“Praise should also go to Chris Hammans, the team’s head coach, and his assistant and team mechanic Lee Finch, who both provide fantastic support to our players. BHAPFC’s success would not be possible without their help.”
BHAPFC’s South East Powerchair Football League squad was made up of top scorer Elliott, Shaun Baily, Seb Finch, Lewis Hammans, and Freddie Strachan.
AITC is now hoping to give more players who use a powerchair or wheelchair the chance to play football. The charity is launching a new session at Southwick Leisure Centre and is hoping BHAPFC’s exploits will inspire people to get involved.
The first session takes place between 12.30pm and 2pm on 7 July and is open to anyone who uses a wheelchair or powerchair and is aged five or over.
For more information, email: disability@bhafcfoundation.org.uk.