Derek Dooley Disability Football Club offers Football Training and monthly fixtures during the football season for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The group promotes physical activity, learning new skills and helping its players to establish and maintain friendships.
Sessions are held at Leisure United, Woodbourn Road hub, 3 Stadium Way, Sheffield S9 3HL
Fridays 5-7pm and Saturdays 9-11am, cost £5
Please contact Claire Whitham 07752430675, cowlishawclaire@gmail.com
Derek Dooley was a famous football player in Sheffield, he was involved in both Sheffield clubs during his life. His career was cut short when his leg had to be amputated following a fracture sustained whilst playing for Sheffield Wednesday in 1953. He later went on to become Chief Executive Officer of Sheffield United.
After his death in 2008, his friends set up an organisation called Derek Dooley Football club to support amputees who wanted to engage in Football. A high-level inspirational coach was employed called Steve
Adams who for 10 years created a fun place to play football and learn all about the beautiful game. He made every session enjoyable.
In 2009 it was decided to open the club up to anyone with a disability or additional needs. The club has 9 teams that play in the Ability Counts league and the FA pan disability league. Players from our club attended the Special Olympics National summer games in Sheffield in 2017 and won gold medals and repeated this at
the Anniversary games in Stirling in 2019.