"I think that comes down to primarily funding for it and also raising the profile of the game so that we can get more and more people playing amputee football."Įngland has already proven that there is an audience for football outside the men's professional game with the rise in popularity of women's football. It is a great model that the Turkish and the Polish have and we would love to follow in their footsteps and have a professional league. "It is the first Nations League tournament which amputee football has produced and to have the opportunity to pit our wits against Poland and Turkey who have professional leagues within their respective countries, and also Spain, it is just a fantastic opportunity to play in that competition. He explained: "It is absolutely huge for us. It is a far cry from where England currently finds itself but, speaking to MEN Sport, Rogers is confident that replicating Turkey is a realistic aim and that the Nations League helps them on that journey. Amputee footballers are fully professional in Turkey and feature as part of a three-tier league system. In 2017, England faced Turkey in front of a crowd of more than 40,000 in the final of the European Championships.īut it is not just on an international scale where Turkey are excelling. The latter opponent has set the standard for how the sport can grow. It is no secret that the Nations League will be a tough test for England as Poland, Spain and Turkey await them in the summer.ĪLSO READ: Kane has dropped hint about his future amid United interest The tournament will come less than 12 months after England finished ninth at the World Cup and while there was disappointment at the national team's elimination against Angola, Owen Coyle Jr's side rallied well to beat Poland, Japan and Argentina to secure a respectable ranking.Ĭoyle has since stepped aside from his duties with Scott Rogers, who had been part of the set-up for two years prior, taking the reigns as interim head coach. In June, England's Amputee Football Association will head to the European Games in Poland where, for the very first time, four countries will compete in the Nations League. While the end of March has seen the England men's team congregate at St George's Park for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, 45 miles away in Cheshire another side is meeting for an important training camp of their own.
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