How it All Started in the UK

Powerchair Football was first introduced to the UK when Hiroshi Takahashi from Japan introduced the game at Aspire in Stanmore in 2001. The Japanese had been playing many years and had many teams and leagues. At that time the bumper was a tyre cut in half and tied over the players’ footplates to the chair, and the ball was gigantic! If you had a faster wheelchair than other players, you needed to identify yourself with a special armband or scarf and only 2 for each team were allowed on pitch at the same time.

Aspire demonstrated the game at various cities around the UK and held the first ever Powerchair Football Tournament. In 2002 Japan invited England to come and play, and so the first ever team of powerchair football players from England flew to Tokyo and played different Japanese teams, both in Tokyo and in Nagano.

The game slowly gained popularity as powerchair users started to find out about it and our Aspire club was officially formed in 2003, the first powerchair football club in the UK. Representatives went to summit meetings in countries such as France and Portugal. France, like Japan, had been playing for over 20 years! The governing body - WFA (Wheelchair Football Association) was set up as well as an international powerchair football body – FIPFA. In the summer of 2005 various countries went to Atlanta to thrash out a set of rules to govern powerchair football in all countries, as each country was playing differently. The English game was chosen as the protocol, but without the flying tackles! Agreement had been reached on standard bumpers for all chairs. Aspire were fortunate to have four of our players go to Atlanta to help formulate the rules.

The first ever National League was set up by The WFA for the 2006/07 Season, commencing in November 2006 and finishing in March 2007. Aspire Hotspur, as we were then named, won the League and are the current Title Holders. We still have close links with Tottenham Hotspur, but it was felt as a Club we should move away from affiliation with one Premiership club in order that we could get other clubs involved in our sport, which we are currently doing. We are now Aspire Powerchair Sports Club – within this Hub is the Aspire Powerchair Football Club.

FIPFA meanwhile had been working hard, together with Japanese promoters, and the inaugural Invacare Powerchair Football World Cup was held in Tokyo in October 2007. Once again, proving the quality of the Aspire Club, three of our members were selected for England.

FIPFA World Cup Highlights Film

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About APSC - Background & Aims

Our dynamic Sports Club is unique. No one else does what we do and we are striving to achieve much more. Our open door policy focuses on actively encouraging and motivating all people in powered wheelchairs and our geographical reach currently covers 8 counties.



APSC is entirely self-funded and run by volunteers. We rely upon the goodwill of members and friends. We are applying for Trust status. Our aim is to expand life experiences through successful participation in sport, giving a sense of self-worth and enjoyment. Emphasis is on joining in, having fun and socialising, with the very serious aspect of aspiring to play sport at the highest level.

We are expanding into exciting new powerchair sports such as rugby and hockey however our current focus is football. Powerchair Football is currently the only competitive team sport available to people using battery powered chairs. A National League - Premiership and Championship - has been set up. Aspire PCFC are the current National Champions, having won the first ever League Title in the 06/07 Season. We take the game as far and wide as we can to spread knowledge and to encourage others to play and set up clubs. In 2007 we demonstrated at the Mobility Roadshow and Beyond Boundaries Exhibition. Our Club is rapidly gaining new members and three of our squad were selected for England to play in the inaugural Invacare World Cup in Tokyo in October ’07.

We believe all powerchair users in the UK should have a choice. The benefits of sport are immeasurable but powerchair sports are far behind high profile manual chair sports such as wheelchair basketball or athletics. This needs to change.

SOME OF OUR AIMS:

Short Term: we need special football powerchairs and equipment to enable players to reach their full potential. A bumper is affixed to the front of the chair to move the ball easily whilst protecting feet and chairs. Chairs are very expensive - over £4,000 each! Some other costs - National League fees, specially made footballs, hall hire, kit and equipment, travel (demonstrations and away matches).

Long Term: as a Trust we aim to provide pathways to employment through fundraising and sending powerchair users into the community across the UK – and beyond (think big!) – to teach powerchair sports and to help set up local clubs. To help and support new groups until they are self-sufficient.

How You Can Help:
Funds are desperately needed, but not everyone can afford to donate. You can make a difference by spreading the word. The pure joy of someone who had no idea they could join a team game to play sport is priceless. Please can you help?