ON THE second Saturday of every month, Chelmsford's Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre is playing host to a special brand of football aimed at the disabled.
Powerchair football has been taking place at the centre for almost three years, and the event continues to go from strength to strength.
Such is the progress of the players that the Essex County FA are now looking to create a team to compete in a regional league.
Playing in chairs costing around £4,000 each, the event gives the participants a taste of competitive football, and the Essex County FA's senior football development officer Ian Bent admits it is a great activity to be involved in.
"It's very good and the participants get a lot out of it, and that's what it's all about," he told the Chronicle.
"It's been going on for nearly three years now. It started with Children in Need funding and it's coming up to the end of their third and final year in the summer.
"It's self-sustaining now with the support of the Essex FA and hopefully it can kick on and continue for as long as there are players there who want to take part. We've got about 13 or 14 in total and average eight or nine for every session.
"We've got a core group of four or five who turn up every month and then a group of eight or so who tend to come every other month, or one in three."
As time has progressed, the skills have improved and Bent is hoping the group can continue to go from strength to strength.
"The ultimate aim is to have a team go into a regional league in this area," he added. "We're the only group in Essex, but Kent have a really strong Powerchair team and most counties now are trying to set up Powerchair groups and teams.
"The Riverside group have already played a couple of friendly matches and the idea is to have them step up to a level where they can participate in a league as a team which would be great.
"The main thing is obviously being able to experience football – or Powerchair football.
