Tournament news
A cultural celebration of a sporting first in Hereford
This Summer Hereford are being invited to celebrate some sporting history, when the Blind World Cup will be played on English soil for the first time in its history – and right here in our city.
The IBSA World Blind Football Championship (www.blind2010.com) will welcome ten of the best blind teams from around the world including world champions Argentina, Paralympic champions Brazil and European champions France. They’ll be competing for the most prestigious prize in blind sport at the event which is being hosted by The FA and held at thePoint4 at The Royal National College for the Blind, the home training ground of the England squad. It will be the biggest disability football event ever to be held in this country.
A legacy campaign, which has been involving schools, businesses and community groups from the county in events running up to the tournament, includes a cultural festival to celebrate the Championship.
Alongside a film festival (with films specially chosen to represent the competing nations in the Blind World Cup), there are three specially organised events taking place at The Courtyard in the week of the World Cup, 14th – 22nd August.
On the 18th of August sports fans can enjoy an Evening with Sir Trevor Brooking
Des Kelly, one of Britain's best-known sports columnists and now patron of the England Blind Football Squad will be hosting a celebratory football chat show, with special guests including football legend Sir Trevor Brooking and goalkeeping giant Ray Clemence, MBE.
Des will take a walk down memory lane looking at Sir Trevor’s 17 years at West Ham and his time under England managers Sir Alf Ramsey, Joe Mercer, Don Revie and Ron Greenwood. He’ll also be discussing with his guests the state of play in football following South Africa’s World Cup, and look at why events like the Blind World Cup are so important for the growth of the beautiful game in this country.
VIP tickets £35, offer the opportunity to enjoy a drinks reception after the show with Des Kelly, Sir Trevor Brooking and Ray Clemence. Other tickets £18, concessions £12.
ON Saturday 21st August families are invited to enjoy a Bucket Full of Stories with children's author Ian Whybrow
Ian Whybrow has written over 100 books for children, which have been translated into 27 languages and are published in 28 countries. To children though, he is the man who came up with Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs and, more recently, the wonderful Books for Boys series which includes Through the Cat-flap and A footballer called Flip. Ian is a patron of Herefordshire's Megan Baker House and when the children there asked him why heroes in children’s books never have a disability Through the Cat Flap and a hero who happens to have cerebral palsy was his response. There is, he says, room in books for everyone. Ian’s also a fan of blind football and to celebrate this years’ Blind World Cup in Hereford he’s hosting this special event when he’ll talk about some of his favourite characters. Tickets: £5. Family ticket £15.
And on 16th August there’s a great opportunity to join The Rural Media Group to discuss their Same but Different project looking at equality and diversity in Herefordshire. A special documentary by the Shoot Out team captures the preparations for this summer’s Blind World Cup in Hereford, and the legacy it will leave. This is a brilliant opportunity to see the work in progress, and to discuss equality, diversity, and sport (and the media’s role in it), not only in the week The FA hosts the Blind World Cup in Hereford, but as we start to count down to the London 2012 Paralympics and Olympics. Entry £2 and the audience will each receive a free pass to one of the World Cup games at The Royal National College for the Blind’s thePoint4.
Story added: 29-07-2010
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