A DISABILITY football team is up and running and looking for new members.

Rhydaman Rangers – part of Ammanford AFC – is appealing to people in the local area to join them for sessions.

Coach Sion Thomas – who only finished studying for A-levels last summer -explains: “We’ve got a regular groups of boys turning up. We would love to see more young people, including girls, coming along and seeing what we’re all about.

“The youngsters have a wide range of disabilities including Autism, personality disorders and learning disabilities. We are a totally inclusive team and welcome children aged over 11 years of age and of all abilities.”

The team recently played their first match within the West Wales Pan Disability League.

Coach, Thomas was impressed by the progress that has been made: “The team have come a long way since they first started. Their basic skills like passing have improved and it’s really good to see how they are all socially gelling together as a unit. I was sat in the dugout with them this weekend and I had such a big smile on my face because they were bonding so well as a team.”

It is the first disability football team that has been set up in Carmarthenshire after a local side folded.

Lyn Brodrick, Active Young People Officer at Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “There was a gap in disability football provision once youngsters hit the age of 11 when the league structure kicks in. Before the age of 11, we encourage children into mainstream sides. Through Sport Wales funding, we set up disability specific turn up and play sessions. We got good numbers coming so we knew there was demand.

“Working with the FAW Trust, we were then able to provide sessions more regularly and we’ve been going into Special Educational Need units at schools too - primary and secondary – to build up confidence and motivation among the children.”

The council have since handed over the reins of the running of the side to Ammanford AFC Juniors:

Thomas said: “We would love to recruit 20 members and then we can enter teams into the disability leagues at the different levels.”