Deaf youngsters triumph in national football cup

THE father of two deaf boys who helped their football team to a national title has told how the sport has been a huge boost to their confidence.

Samuel and Joel Ash were part of a Derby team which beat the likes of Manchester United and Everton to win the national title at a tournament held in Pride Park.

Proud dad Robin Ash, 35, of Carnaby Close, Mackworth, who is also deaf, was among spectators cheering his boys on. He said: "I'm proud to see my boys and their team winning the cup for Derby. We moved to Derby in 2007 from London for their deaf schooling and they've fitted in brilliantly. But joining clubs like the football has given them loads of friends and more confidence."

He said Samuel and Joel were quite reserved when it came to joining in with teams and had few opportunities to develop until they started playing for the Royal School for the Deaf.

He said: "They are more confident in playing and more willing to give things a try. For example, it gave Samuel the confidence to try out for his local cricket club with hearing children because he knows he can do it."

Samuel and Joel's team managed to overcome competition from top teams from all over the country in a series of five-a-side games.

They took home the under-12s' winners' trophy in the National Youth Football Tournament, organised by the Deaf Friendly Football Club, after a 2-1 victory over an Everton team on Sunday.

Samuel said: "I was so happy when we won because we got a cup and medals. We had a team from Everton in the final and they were hard to beat."

Joel said: "I didn't manage to score but tried my best to stop the other team scoring against us. My favourite game was the one where we beat Kent 4-1. By the end of the day, I was really tired, though."

Four teams from Derby joined 24 other deaf youth football teams from across England in the competition. There were categories for mixed under-12s, under-16 boys and under-16 girls.

The Derby team's coach, John Litherland, was proud of his players. He said: "We are delighted to have won the national tournament. The team worked hard to train for the competition, and played to a really high standard on the day.

"They have been attending regular deaf friendly football sessions at Derby County FC and from having that opportunity they have really improved their game."

The Deaf Friendly Football Club project works in partnership with Derby County FC to provide football training to deaf youngsters in the city. It runs with the help of a £211,608 grant from the Football Foundation, which invests money from the Premier League, the Football Association, and the Government into good causes.