Reading FC’s Deaf Team – Sponsored by STAR – going for glory this weekend
Chance to take top spot for Community Trust side…
Reading FC’s Deaf Team have a chance to take top spot in the England Deaf Football South League this Sunday 10th March – a win over Peterborough United this weekend would put our side top of the pile with one match remaining.
The Deaf Team, which is run through Reading FC Community Trust (and Spondored by STAR), have gone from strength to strength and continue to provide fantastic opportunities to get involved in sport for local people with hearing impairments – and the players are improving all the time, which has led to excellent progress on the field too.
Our team will be hosting current leaders Peterborough at Ryeish Green Sports Hub at 2pm this Sunday, and any support from Royals fans would be very welcome on the day. The side are supported by generous donations from Supporters’ Trust at Reading as well as Berkshire-based company Total Communication, who recently donated £2,500 to the team after their fundraising efforts as well as continuing to provide interpreters at training sessions and matches.
Reading FC Deaf are competing on many other fronts this year too. The team have again entered the BBC Get Inspired 5 a-side FA People’s Cup this year. Last season, the team made it through the rounds to reach the final group stage at St George’s Park and were finalists. This year they have entered into the Adult Male Disability Premiership category and the Royals came out as winners of the league in the group stages at Middlesex FA, Rectory Park – so are now through to the semi-finals which will take place weekend of 23rd/24th March.
The Deaf Team also recently played in the Second Round of the South East FA Disability Cup at Cranford Community College, which was organised by London FA. Playing against three other teams in round-robin 20-minute matches against St Albans Deaf, Northampton Town and Charlton Athletic Veterans Deaf, it was Reading who came out as winners of the group again and the Royals will now compete in the Final Round of the competition.