MORE than 100 footballers with varying degrees of disability graced Oaklands Sports Centre in York, writes Tony Kelly.

They all attended a special North of England training session which was hosted by the North Yorkshire Centre of Excellence for Disabled Football.

Besides the hosts, there were players from other centres, aided by two coaches from each, including Cheshire, Lancashire, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle and all were put through several rigorous drills to assess their ability.

Up for grabs were potential places in the full national disabled squad, which caters for several disabilities from amputees to blindness.

The session was organised by Paul Bird, the head coach of the North Yorkshire Centre of Excellence and an avid advocate of providing more facilities for disabled sports-mad youngsters.

Said Bird, who is aided by fellow coaches Simon Wood, Peter Renton and Amy Bird, the head coach’s daughter: “It was a brilliant day.

“The feedback we got from coaches and parents was that it was a great exercise.”

And in a further boost for Bird, the North Yorkshire Centre of Excellence netted a sponsorship tie-up from local property company the Skelwith Group. The Centre, based at Oaklands Leisure Centre in Acomb, includes a range of talents including England internationals and totals more than 30 youngsters.

The money will go towards new kit and training equipment and the creation of impairment specific training groups and is the first donation from the Skelwith Group’s ‘Sports Academy’. This will help to support local sporting causes and is headed up by former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, who is now Skelwith’s Head of Corporate Leisure. Added Bird: “This money will give us a great boost and provide much needed new kit and equipment. I’m delighted with that the Skelwith Group has chosen to support us and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

Paul Ellis, managing director of the Skelwith Group, said: “It’s great to be able to give something back to the community and this is a very worthwhile cause. Paul Bird does a great job at the Centre so I am very proud to support him and everything he is trying to do there.”

The Skelwith Group is developing several projects including the £100 million Flaxby Country Resort.