The Special Olympics Great Britain Unified Football team recently prepared, for the upcoming Special Olympics World Games at St George’s Park, the home of the England football, thanks to the League Managers Association (LMA).

LMA ambassador and former Team GB men’s coach at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Stuart Pearce, joined the squad on the David Beckham Pitch at St George’s Park throughout team training. There were also talks from England team manager Gareth Southgate, Scotland manager Steve Clarke, LMA Chairman Howard Wilkinson and LMA Head of Performance and Gold medallist in rowing at the 2000 Olympics Games in Sydney, Tim Foster.

Unified Football is a 7-a-side global programme unique to Special Olympics that brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete on the same team. The LMA is supporting the Team Special Olympics GB Unified Football squad preparations, whilst also helping fund the operational costs of their journey to Berlin to compete at the Special Olympics World Games in June.

England manager and LMA President Gareth Southgate said: “It’s great for us as coaches to have been out on the training pitch at St George’s Park with the Team Special Olympics GB players, seeing the players enjoying their football and supporting their preparations.

“I’m really excited by the concept of Unified Football. It’s a fascinating dynamic where everybody is learning from each other, whilst also learning how to integrate into a team, and I’m proud of the work that the LMA is doing to support the team on their journey to Berlin.”

Scotland manager Steve Clarke added: “To be here, seeing the players out on the pitch working to improve, makes you feel so humble. The LMA are absolutely delighted to support the athletes who have been selected to represent the nation at the Special Olympics World Games. 

“It’s been great to meet the team, but also learn more about the incredible work from the volunteers who support week-in-week-out at clubs across the country, which enables the athletes to have an experience like this.”

Stuart Pearce commented: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of learning, watching and playing Unified Football today. It’s been a pleasure to meet the Team Special Olympics GB Coaches and I’m proud to be supporting their preparations through this great partnership with the LMA.

“The team have a short window of preparation for the Special Olympics World Games, in the same way that we did when I was coaching the men’s Team GB team for the London 2012 Olympic Games, but there’s some great camaraderie amongst the players and the coaches and I think that they’ll enjoy a good tournament together.”

Team Special Olympics GB, which is also sponsored by charity gaming event Jingle Jam, is taking a squad of 11 to Berlin 2023, formed of six Special Olympics GB athletes and five Unified Partners (athletes without intellectual disabilities) who are currently students at the University of Hertfordshire. They will play a minimum of five matches at the Special Olympics World Games and will be joined by former England and Brighton & Hove Albion women’s coach Hope Powell, who will support the coaching team.

Ben Mathews, Head Coach of Special Olympics GB’s Unified Football team, said: “It’s been a unique experience for our athletes to step inside the lives of professional footballers by training at a world class football facility and to work with some of our finest British coaches in the game. We’re very grateful to the LMA for their support.

“However, the backing of the LMA goes beyond St George’s Park, as their support is helping raise the profile of Unified Football, which we ultimately want to grow across England, Scotland and Wales and encourage more clubs to develop teams and be part of the Special Olympics GB network.

“Unified football is one of the most inclusive sporting opportunities and a huge amount can be gained by bringing together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team and supporting each other in their journeys.”

Special Olympics GB is the UK’s largest provider of year-round training and competition for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities, with sporting opportunities offered at its 95 accredited clubs.

It is taking a team of 82 athletes to compete in 17 of the 26 sports at the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Games, which open at the iconic Olympiastadion Berlin on 17 June.