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‘Captain England? Maybe One Day I Will’: Career Paths of Elite Partially Sighted Footballers

2006; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 9; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/17430430600673464

1743-0445

Jessica Louise Macbeth, Jonathan Magee,

Disability Education and Employment

Abstract This article outlines the development of disability football and then examines the career paths of a group of partially sighted footballers selected to represent England at the Partially Sighted World Championships (PSWC) in 2004. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus group interviews and analysis re veals that three key ways into partially sighted football presently exist: educational institutions; pan-disability football; and professional football clubs. This article adopts a social construction approach in an attempt to highlight social and political factors that combine to prevent partially sighted footballers from experiencing a 'normalized' career path that mirrors the Football Association's Disability Player Pathway model. Notes [1] Stevenson, 'Seeking Identities', 132. [2] See for example, Oliver, Understanding Disability; Barnes and Mercer, 'Breaking the mould?' [3] Oliver, Understanding Disability, 32. [4] Brittain, 'Perceptions of Disability', 430. [5] Oliver, Understanding Disability, 32. [6] Oliver, Understanding Disability, 32 [7] Barnes and Mercer, 'Breaking the mould?', 4. [8] Barnes, 'What a Difference a Decade Makes', 6. [9] Brittain, 'Perceptions of Disability'. [10] Brittain, 'Perceptions of Disability', 434. [11] Barnes, 'What a Difference a Decade Makes', 6. [12] Hargreaves, Heroines of Sport. [13] Weisman and Godfrey, So Get On with It, xii, cited in Hargreaves, Heroines of Sport, 178. [14] Hargreaves, Heroines of Sport, 178. [15] Hargreaves, Heroines of Sport, 180. [16] French and Hainsworth, '"There Aren't Any Buses"', 37. [17] French and Hainsworth, 'There Aren't Any Buses', 37 [18] French and Hainsworth, 'There Aren't Any Buses', 37 [19] French and Hainsworth, 'There Aren't Any Buses', 37; Tregaskisk, 'Towards Inclusive Practice'; Sport England, Disability Survey 2000; Sport England, Adults with a Disability and Sport: National Survey. [20] Hums et al., 'The Inclusion of the Paralympics'; Smith and Thomas, 'The "Inclusion" of Elite Athletes with Disabilities'; Sport England, Disability Survey 2000; Sport England, Adults with a Disability and Sport. [21] Blinde and Taub, 'Personal Empowerment'; Hargreaves, Heroines of Sport, 174–214; Taub and Greer, 'Physical Activity as a Normalizing Experience'; Groff and Kleiber, 'Exploring the Identity Formation'; Page et al., 'Leaving the Disability Ghetto'; Kristen et al., 'Conceptions of Children and Adolescents'; Kristen et al., 'Parents' Conceptions'; Brittain, 'Perceptions of Disability'; Brittain, 'The Role of Schools'. [22] Devas, 'Support and Access'; Woodhouse et al., 'Vision in Athletes'; Sport England, Disability Survey 2000; Sport England, Adults with a Disability and Sport. [23] Howe et al., The Politics of the Paralympic Games; Hums et al., 'The Inclusion of the Paralympics'. [24] Atherton et al., Deaf United; Atherton et al., 'More Than a Match'. [25] Stead and Waddington, 'Leicester 98'. [26] Stevenson, 'Becoming an International Athlete'. [27] Stevenson, 'Seeking Identities'. [28] Prus, 'Career Contingencies'; Stevenson, 'Becoming an International Athlete'; Stevenson, 'Seeking Identities'. [29] Stevenson, 'Seeking Identities', 131. [30] Horne et al., Understanding Sport, 153. [31] Ibid., 154. [32] Stevenson, 'Seeking Identities', 132. [33] Sport England, No Limits, 19. [34] English Federation of Disability Sport, 'Football: The Ability Counts Project'. [35] Football Association, The FA Football Development Programme – Disability Football Strategy 2004–2006, 3. [36] Football Association, The FA Football Development Programme – Disability Football Strategy 2004–2006, 3 [37] See http://www.number-10.gov.uk/su/sport/report/05.htm. [38] Football Association, The FA Football Development Programme – Disability Football Strategy 2004–2006, 3. [39] Football Association, The FA Football Development Strategy 2001–2006, 29. [40] French and Hainsworth, '"There Aren't Any Buses"', 37. [41] French and Hainsworth, "There Aren't Any Buses", 37 [42] Stevenson, 'Seeking Identities', 132. [43] Stevenson, 'Seeking Identities', 132 Additional informationNotes on contributorsJessica MacbethJessica Macbeth, International Football Institute, Department of Tourism and Leisure Management, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK.Jonathan MageeJonathan Magee, International Football Institute, Department of Tourism and Leisure Management, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK.