Jake Heasman by Dexter McLean
|
|
This Saturday and Sunday, The FA Disability Cup Finals will be broadcast live from St. George’s Park on TNT Sports 1. Sponsored by EE, the weekend features six finals from six categories—Blind, Partially Sighted, Deaf, Cerebral Palsy, Amputee, and Powerchair—spread across the two days. Our Features Editor, James Bird, watched both days of last year’s finals and wouldn’t stop talking about how good it was, and over the last few weeks, he’s worked on some films and interviews with three of the players involved in this year’s finals as part of EE’s Proud Supporter Programme.
Jake Heasman is a winger who plays for Scorpions Futsal, and his story of moving from 11-a-side pitches to the smaller futsal pitches and being able to see the full pitch again is really powerful. Jake played for England in the World Cup in Birmingham last year, and you’ll be able to watch him do his thing for Scorpions Futsal v Birmingham Futsal at 12.15pm on Saturday.
|
|
Kieran Clarke by Dexter McLean
|
|
Kieran Clarke is a swashbuckling centre half who plays for The Royal National College for the Blind and is now part of the England set-up. We loved hearing Kieran tell us about how, instead of each player having the ability to individually ‘scan’ the pitch, the goalkeeper (who is sighted) has a crucial job in creating a constantly changing picture of what is happening on the pitch through verbal communications. Kieran also told us about how much he enjoys smashing into his opposition and having the excuse of, “sorry ref, I didn’t know he was there”. Catch Kieran playing for The Royal National College for the Blind v West Bromwich Albion Blind FC at 2.15pm on Saturday.
|
|
Abdou Jobe by Dexter McLean
|
|
Abdou Jobe grew up playing football in his garden with his family and on the streets with his mates in south London, and after initially playing for Bromley U23s, Abdou was encouraged by coach Memnos Costi to join his team, St John's Deaf FC. Now an England and Deaf Champions League regular, you should watch him play against Farsley Celtic Deaf FC on Sunday at 1.15pm.
You’ll love it. The intensity and specificities of each discipline, the joy of watching elite athletes do their thing, and, of course, loads of goals. It doesn’t clash with any EUROs games, so tuck into the joys of three finals a day for a weekend. (We promise they’ll play attacking football too…)
These photos were taken by the outstanding Dexter McLean, and you'll see more from the shoot in the future. And finally, you should be absolutely go watch our first film with Jake Heasman, released today, here.
|
|
For our Art of the Euros section in the latest issue of the magazine, Asad Raza wrote about The Art of Jude Bellingham. Here’s a little excerpt, and below that is a big button for you to click which will mean you’re subscribed to the best football magazine in the world. Enjoy the extract, subscribe to read the rest.
You never really see the future coming until it’s right in front of you. On the 6th of August 2019, Jude Bellingham makes his Birmingham City debut in the Carabao Cup second round against Portsmouth, aged 16 years and 38 days. City’s youngest ever player, he shows up, hairline immaculate, wearing slime-green coloured boots, and is completely unfazed playing against men twice his age. Birmingham lose 3–0, but everyone who was there remembers Jude.
A report from an unnamed Premier League scout in attendance reads:“Only 16 but awe inspiring. Very athletic with long legs and huge feet. Has a fantastic mentality, intelligent in terms of finding space to receive possession. Never panicked on the ball, took it away from pressure. Huge potential and already able to go toe to toe with Portsmouth's first team. Sign him, develop him, send on loan. In 18 months he will play in our first team.”
Leaving aside little details—do Premier League scouts really look at feet size?—the report is an incredible artefact. Not only does it hone in on what makes Jude special, it also points at the massed forces that hover around young talent, who look to commodify it and process it through the meat grinder of elite football. Sign him, train him, loan him, rinse and repeat until it works. Or not. The eyes of scouts from Man United, Bayern, Man City, Barcelona, and Real Madrid were trained on Jude from day one, but he had his own surprises in store.
Imagine being called awe-inspiring at 16. At 20, I’d spent the same summer flipping between babysitting jobs while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I’d smoke a lot of weed, carry a book of poetry to parks and cafes to impress girls, and play incredibly sweaty three-a-sides. The only thing awe-inspiring about my life then was how quickly I could down a burger from Dixy Chicken.
Jude? He was using that summer to improve himself, strengthening his mind and body before playing 44 games of professional football. He scoops up the EFL Young Player of the Season, and Birmingham agree to do a deal with Man United. But in steps Jude, now 17, making the decision that best serves him, market forces and money be damned. It’s the kind of laser focus and self-possession that makes grown men go googly-eyed.
“I suppose l have this massive fanboy crush on him,” says James, a Birmingham City season ticket holder. “He’s from Stourbridge, my hometown, and he started at my club. We were in a shit enough spot that we actually had to rely on him, but he was already making moves and runs that Championship players were struggling with."
I tell James that I’d first heard of Bellingham when I’d learnt that Brum had retired his shirt and how it felt like an all-time case of jumping the shark...
What are you waiting for? Hit the buttons below to subscribe.
|
|
Maybe, like us, you’re desperately looking for something to listen to that isn’t about how England are broken despite winning their group at an international tournament, for instance. This week’s Reminding You Why You Love Football is all about Ruud Van Nistelrooy scoring rockets at Real Madrid, listening to Neil Warnock’s autobiography when you can’t sleep, and having QR code videos of your greatest goalkeeping saves on your gravestone. It’s probably a bit of you. Listen by clicking below.
|
|
1
You don’t know you need a football shirt with OKRA emblazoned across it until, well, you do. Acid FC have teamed up with Indian street food maestros Bundobust to release a limited-edition capsule collection. There’s a work jacket, aprons, tees that say ‘They Think It’s All Okra’, but the highlight is that magnificent kit, complete with repeating lotus patterns. We support Sporting Club Bundobust now.
2
Put away those Armani knock-off sunnies you got from that stall in Ibiza. Shade-kings Meller have collaborated with French clothing brand ENSEMBLE365 on a trés sexy pair of sunglasses. Amber-coloured lenses, two colours on the frame, and a soft 90s-inspired shape. The first drop sold out in 24hrs but they’re available to pre-order here. Ooooh yes, c’est chic.
3
Wrestling in the ring is fake. We all know that. But as this brilliant four-part Vice TV series Who Killed WCW? shows, the in-ring action is always more visceral when there’s IRL beef. Come for the formation of Hulk Hogan’s NWO, stay for Brett Hart bitching and moaning about pretty much everyone he ever worked with in WCW. |
|
ENJOYED THIS? SHARE IT WITH
YOUR PALS. WE'D APPRECIATE IT. |
|
|
|
|
