Sporting Fingal, through its football partner North Dublin Schoolboys/girls League (NDSL), kicked off their Football For All Club Programme last Sunday in the company of Fingal senior player Shaun Maher.

The club were one of four chosen by the FAI to run a 12-week pilot programme whereby kids with special needs based in the community receive specialist coaching

The Football for All Club programme is the most recent initiative by the FAI as part of their disability programme with the aim of providing the opportunity of all children and adults with a disability to have access to football in their local club.

Sporting Fingal were the first Airtricity League club to demonstrate their commitment to inclusiveness through the Football for All section by establishing in 2008 a Special Olympics team. Later that year, the club added to it’s portfolio a Powerchair team, a game which is designed and developed specifically for power wheelchair users.

Joining Sporting Fingal player and A Championship coach, Shaun Maher, at Sunday’s launch in the Oscar Traynor Centre where children with disabilities enjoyed a fun packed day of football was John Devine, club coach along with Secretary of the club, John O’Brien.

O’Brien said: “Sporting Fingal was founded as a community-based club with the very clear charter to promote equality and inclusiveness for participants of all abilities and disabilities. It is, therefore, a proud milestone for our club to be selected by the FAI to roll out the pilot Football for All project and, secondly, see it get underway with the assistance of our underage football partner, North Dublin Schoolboy/girls league on Sunday.”

Tony Gains, Honorary Secretary of the NDSL, added his support to the venture. “Our league has grown vastly in recent years to a player population of 18,000. We feel it’s incumbent on us as the second largest league in Ireland to cater for all players and it gives us particular pride to get this Football For All project implemented.

“I feel that such an initiative is another step towards eliminating barriers between able-bodied kids and disabled children. No longer is it the case that these are treated as separate groups.

"The NDSL’s doors are open to everybody and we would welcome to our weekly training sessions any child with disabilities that wants to enjoy the game in a fun and learning environment.”

The pilot scheme will continue from this Sunday 17 October from 1.30pm – 3pm and for the next ten weeks, at the Oscar Traynor Coaching and Development Centre, Oscar Traynor Road, Coolock.