Everton have a shot at silverware this weekend as the amputee team face Portsmouth in the final of the Disability Cup.
The Blues head into the tie tired but with positive momentum after six of the side were involved in England’s success in clinching the inaugural Nations League title last week.
Among those is David Tweed - the Everton star who was named the player of the tournament.
Despite playing such a big role in that international success, Everton head into Saturday’s final as the underdogs against a Portsmouth side that has beaten them twice this season. If they were to win it would be the first time the side has lifted the trophy since 2019.
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Everton's amputee side qualified for the final through its league performance last season. The occasion is set to be a showpiece event that will be witnessed across the country with it being broadcast live on BT Sport. Much of the squad will head into it off the back of international glory - something that, for manager and Everton in the Community disability coordinator Mark Dolan, is not ideal despite his pleasure at the success of so many of his players.
He said: “We are excited, the occasion is a special one, especially with it being live on TV and it should be a good game between both teams. We’ll go in as slight underdogs, which I think we are quite happy with, we have had a couple of good encounters against Portsmouth already this year that have been quite close, they are normally close fixtures between us and both teams are full of England internationals which is a huge positive. In terms of rest and recovery I would rather this final be in a couple of weeks but it is what it is and based on the momentum that we have just got from the lads we have involved in England, and Portsmouth have players who were involved too, hopefully it will make for a good final.”
One of the players set to be involved is Tweed, fresh from his heroics for England in Poland, where they beat Portugal, Spain and European and World champions Turkey on the way to the triumph. Tweed was joint-top goalscorer at the Nations League, but will be plying his trade at left back for the Blues at the weekend.
Of the success with England, he said: “It is fantastic for that group of lads and staff to finally see a bit of silverware come our way. We have won a few minor trophies along the way but success hasn’t really landed at our door so after all the effort that has gone in over the last 10 years, when we have really stepped up at the national level, to finally get a bit of a reward is just fantastic. It does mean a lot of our lads are tired for this weekend so we can get the excuses in early. But I am buzzing to win something. It’s great just to get out on the pitch, that’s what we all do it for and the trophies are few and far between - but when they do come along we enjoy it.”
Success in Krakow was the England amputee side’s first major honour since 1990. Everton in the Community disability manager Steve Johnson scored the decisive goal in England’s last tournament success, an extra-time winner to beat Brazil 3-2 in the 1990 World Cup final. He will also be involved on Saturday, an occasion he hopes will be the first of many more moves forward for the game - progress he hopes will include league games being broadcast live and a move towards the game becoming professional.
He said: “I really really enjoy these occasions and BT Sport is a great platform for everyone to see the game. I’m really looking forward to it and to hopefully playing well. We want to take amputee football to the next level so that recognition on TV is very important to potentially attract sponsors and make the game more professional in this country. You always dream about it [playing on TV] but it had never really materialised. For me, the FA needs to take it more seriously, disability sport and football, and promote it more. I think we are at a stage now where probably the women’s game was a few years ago and it really needs a big push from the FA to move it onto the next level.”
Whatever the result on Saturday, reaching the final is the latest success for Everton in the Community’s disability programme. Steve said: “Everton’s disability programme is huge and the amputee team is just one of the teams, we have got lots of other different facets that we deliver day in and day out.”
