On this morning’s Now That’s What I Call Sport Jamie was joined by both manager Christy McElligott and goalkeeper James Conroy from Bohemians newly formed Amputee football team.
They along with Shamrock Rovers and Cork City are forming the National Amputee League starting on the 20th of January.
Listen back to the interview in full here:
Temporary manager and player Christy spoke of the idea behind forming this new league.
“The whole idea of the league is that amputee players in this country don’t have the opportunity to play in a league format”.
Also, it is a way to encourage amputees out there who don’t have access to the mainstream game themselves to get involved.”
Former St.Pats man McElligott spoke of how he lost his leg in a road traffic accident in 2001, his initial fear of football being a thing of the past and how he got back involved in the game he loves.
“Unfortunately I was hit by an arctic truck while I was going to work and took the leg clean off.”
“First thing I thought was how am I gonna play the match that night? The clear realisation after that was that I was never gonna play football again.”
“I needed a push to get involved when the Irish Amputee Football Association was formed, I’ve never looked back since and I love it.”
James Conroy who is a goalkeeper for Bohemians Amputee Football team painted the picture of the day he found out about amputee football and what eventually persuaded him to join up.
“It was summer 2013 heading to Croke Park to watch Meath v Dublin in the championship; it was a sunny Sunday morning at a bus-stop in Dunshaughlin when a car pulled up just past me.”
“It was Christy asking had I ever played amputee football and I said I never even heard of it. He told me the in’s and out’s.”
“Eventually in November I went down and I’ve fallen in love with the game and it’s my number 1 priority.”
Conroy who has one hand answer’s the much asked question, how does a goalkeeper play with one hand?
“People have that reaction, I don’t know it just works yeno I’m good at it.”
“My left side is my strong side I’m no different to any other goalkeeper, on my weak side I can’t use my right arm at all due to the rules, you just adapt.”
“To be honest I don’t even think about it anymore, it just comes to me.”
Elsewhere on today’s show we had Leo Cullen, Johnny Sexton and Isa Nacewa on Leinster’s Champions Cup game v Glasgow Warriors. Dr Matthew Campbell of Trinity College on the danger of concussion in football and a roundup of all the Walsh Cup semi finals which also feature Pat Gilroy’s Dublin in action today in Parnell Park against Wexford.
Now That’s What I Call Sport is back every Sunday from 9am on 98FM.
