Glasgow Gladiators Powerchair FC

Glasgow Gladiators Powerchair Football Club is a Scottish powerchair football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed on 24 May 2016, and currently competes in the MDUK Scottish Powerchair League. The club consists of two teams: Glasgow Gladiators PFC and Glasgow Gladiator Bravehearts.

Glasgow Gladiators
Full nameGlasgow Gladiators Powerchair Football Club
Short nameGGPFC
Founded24 May 2016 (24 May 2016)
GroundCraigholme Sports Complex
ChairmanDanny Millar
TreasurerKenny Munro[1]
LeagueMDUK Scottish Powerchair League
WebsiteClub website

History

The team started out as Glasgow City Powerchair, but evolved into the Clyde Powerchair Football Club (PFC)—the country's first powerchair football club—in September 2012 after receiving funding from Glasgow Sport. The team trained at the Craigholme Sports Complex and facilities in Cumbernauld, and entered five teams into the inaugural season of the Scottish Powerchair Football League.[2][3]

For the 2015–16 season, Clyde PFC was split into two teams with the Cumbernauld teams continuing as Clyde PFC and the Craigholme teams coming under the control of Queen's Park F.C. After some initial success, the Queen's Park team found it difficult to compete with the other clubs in the league due to a lack of funding. The players, therefore, unanimously voted to break from Queen's Park and establish a new club that would be recognized by funding bodies.[4]

On 24 May 2016, the new club was formally established. To determine the club's name, a players-poll was conducted via Facebook, and 'Glasgow Gladiators' was selected by a 10–2 vote over four other proposals. Later that summer, the club badge was designed by two members of the club's committee; it incorporates elements found in various logos used by other disabled sports and football clubs, as well as two stars added to honor two deceased former club members.

In June 2017, the club received a £10,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund[5][6] for the purchase of new equipment including a communal specialised electric wheelchair, which would assist in introducing new players to the sport (a personal chair costs £5000),[1][7][3][2] and to support the costs of its operations, as well as offering the bowling-based wheelchair sport Boccia.[1][6]

An early day motion, primarily sponsored by Scottish MP Stewart McDonald, congratulating the club for receiving the grant and commending its members for their efforts was tabled by the British Parliament on 28 June 2017.[8]

Further funds have been raised by players via participation in events such as fun runs,[7] and as the club became more widely known, supporters of Rangers F.C. showed an interest in offering financial assistance due to Gladiators players being fans of the club.[7]

Glasgow Gladiators were one of 5 finalists in The People's Projects 2018 STV West region. They successfully amassed enough votes to become one of three winners in the region and won funding of £46,596 to expand their powerchair football and boccia clubs.

Club committee

The club is run by the players themselves, supported by parents and caregivers. A committee was established to manage the daily affairs of the club for the players.

ChairmanDanny Millar
Vice-ChairmanPeter McGuire
SecretaryBrian Quinn
TreasurerKenny Munro[1]
Participant Member RepIdrees Ahmed

Players
The Glasgow Gladiators teams for the 2016 Scottish League Cup wearing their home and away kits.

As of November 2017, the club has thirteen members and divided into two teams: Glasgow Gladiators PFC (seven players) and Glasgow Gladiator Bravehearts (six players). The players have disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.

Glasgow Gladiators Powerchair FC

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 NA   Daniel Quinn
5 na   Gerry Jamieson
7 NA   Josh Millar [1]
9 NA   Idrees Ahmed
10 NA   Connor Colhoun [2]
23 {{{pos}}}   Ross Munro
24 {{{pos}}}   Eddie Kirkwood [3][2][7]
  • Head coach: Ruaridh Macinnes
  • Assistant coaches: Brian Quinn & Andrew Nixon

Glasgow Gladiator Bravehearts

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 NA   Steven Sweeney
4 na   Chris Elliott
8 na   Christopher Chetty
11 NA   Reegan Stevenson
18 NA   Veronica Mitchell
20 NA   Zoe McLauchlan
67 NA   Peter McGuire
88 NA   Alexander Tavendale
  • Head coach: Danny Millar
  • Assistant Coach: Gill Kilcullen

References
  1. "Glasgow Gladiators Powerchair Football Club awarded £10,000 to help more people get in to the sport". Evening Times. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  2. "Inspiring Britain: Glasgow's cheerful litter-picker on a mission to make a difference to his city". ITV News. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  3. "Eddie's dream comes true". The Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  4. Macinnes, John A. (7 June 2016). "Appeal to fund a specialist wheelchair for Eddie". Glasgow South and Eastwood Extra. Johnston Publishing. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  5. Spiers, Kathleen (27 June 2017). "Glasgow Powerchair Football Club scoops £10,000 grant". Glasgow Live. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  6. "List of grant recipients for East Renfrewshire: Glasgow Gladiators Powerchair Football Club". Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  7. "Rangers fans rally behind local hero's bid to raise cash for powerchair football team". Daily Record. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  8. "Early day motion 73: Glasgow Gladiators Powerchair Football receives lottery grant". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
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