Nottinghamshire's two Powerchair Football clubs will try to defy the odds by making the finals of the national league competition over the weekend of 17 / 18 March 2007. Last month the two local sides were heavily beaten, not surprising since they had to borrow the special chairs for the game from their wealthier counterparts. No grant aid
 | | Notts stars in action |
The county's attempt to improve has been hindered by a failure to receive funding from the Big Lottery Fund. It means the teams can't train between competitions. Ricky Stephenson, the Nottinghamshire Powerchair FC Team Manager says: "It's hard for our players to compete at the same level without having the correct equipment. "The decision by Big Lottery Fund not to fund the club was a big shock. We will probably not make the final play offs due to the fact we can not train." Playing the game Wheelchair football is a four-a-side game played indoors. Each half lasts 20 minutes. It has the same rules as football with a couple of differences. The game is played in electric powered wheelchairs with a footguard on the front of the chair (this acts like a football boot) and a large size ball.
 | | Getting in a tackle |
Ricky Stevenson says it's "the only active participation sport in the world for people using powered wheelchairs. "The bumpers (used to kick the football) are quite expensive to buy and our Nottinghamshire team is trying to get funding to buy the bumpers and the chairs." Getting stuck in Ricky says: "It's a competitive game out there and these players are just the same. They want to go out and win a game. They've got the aggression, the attitude and the team skills that are important for this game." Nottinghamshire has 40 players at the moment. Two teams will be competing in the upcoming league weekend. Looking to the future The first World Cup of Powerchair Football is being held in Japan in October 2007. Ricky Stevenson hopes Nottinghamshire will be well represented. "We've certainly got a few players that are pushing for a place in the selection. We're looking to select 15 players for the national team with eight actually going to Japan." Get involved You can cheer on the Nottinghamshire's teams by watching the action at Nottingham Trent University from 9am on 17 / 18 March 2007. They'll be up against teams from Newcastle, London and Cornwall. | 
