One the worlds most popular sports is football. Weather it's a kick around in the park with your mates or actually watching a Premiership game from your armchair, footie is loved by millions.

Having a disability defiantly means that in absolutely no way you exempt from kicking a ball around. It also doesn't mean that you can't play at a professional level and current developments being planned for disabled football from the Football Association means that there is no better time to practice your keep-me-uppies!

The FA are planning to lead the way in disabled football and have 'started the ball rolling' by recently launching a strategy document. The document outlines how they have reached their objectives from 2001 and their plans to continually improve the sport on an annual basis up until 2006.

Further plans include introducing a competition structure, improving the quality of training and administration available and creating performance pathways.

Jeff Davis belongs to the FA and has a mayor role in improving disabled football on a professional level. He said,

We want to give everyone the chance to play football and develop more opportunities."

During the time of the launch of the strategy document current disabled players received caps for outstanding performances from Trevor Brooking. They were handed out to players in various categories of disabled football which include
Blind, Cerebral Palsy and Learning Disabilities.

Brooking explained what a cap means to him,

"When I won my first England schoolboy cap even if I had done nothing else in my career, I still had my cap. Representing your country is a tremendous honor and something that these players will remember forever."

 
SHOOTING HIGH

Subbuteo becomes more realistic!

The Blind football team have also just qualified for the Paralympics, which brings us neatly to one of the funniest jokes about football we have ever heard...

It's the first day of Spring and a barman is talking to a customer at a countryside pub. 'Haven't seen your face round these parts before sir, are you a local or just passing through?'

'Just passing through, I'm driving my lads to their first football match for ages' replies the customer. 'They are wonderful guys and despite their blindness they are one of the most professional players I have coached for years.'

'That's amazing', says the barman 'But if they are blind how do they know where the ball is?'

'Ah, we have a special.ball with a small bell inside so they players can tell where it is' The customer tells the barman.

The conversation is interrupted by the barman's wife running into the pub looking extremely angry. 'Are they your lads outside, all wearing blue football shirts?', she shouts to the customer.

'They are indeed, why's that?' asks the customer.

'Because', says the wife 'They are kicking the crap out of our Maypole dancers!