Tomorrow we publish some of the tributes that South Yorkshire Ability Counts League has received following the death of our secretary, Darren Warneron January 17th 2021.
Darren’s funeral is to be held on Saturday 30th of January 11.00am at Rose Hill Crematorium, Cantley Lane, Doncaster. DN4 6NE.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions the service indoors will be limited in numbers; due to severe lockdown restrictions the service cannot be broadcast outside. Therefore, the crematorium asks that only those with an invite to the service attend the crematorium due to public safety issues. However, the funeral cars with Darren will be passing the Keepmoat Stadium at 10.10am for those wishing to wave Darren a farewell.
Join us tomorrow, Wednesday 27th January for the tributes.
Important Message from the SYACL Chair, Mike Stylianou.
SYACL wishes everyone a Happy New Year 2021, unfortunately, due to current pandemic regulations, the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League is now suspended during this present lockdown.
Concord Sports Centre and Goals Centres will be closed – alongside all other Leisure Centres – which effectively prevents us from staging either 7-a-side or 5-a-side matches.
We have suspended the League until this lockdown is lifted; and do not give permission for teams to arrange League matches against each other, despite the government exemption for Disability Sports.
Obviously some clubs may wish to organise training sessions for their teams and possibly arrange friendly matches, but the League does not encourage it.
We understand many of you will be disappointed by our decision; as always our main priority is the safety of all our group, the current high risk to any of our clinically extremely vulnerable members and the fear of spreading the virus.
We will attempt to restart in March, review the situation throughout; and hopefully complete the season before the summer.
We hope you all stay safe and well and look forward to staging matches again in a safer environment in the not too distant future.
We are aware there may be a great deal of disappointment and anxiety amongst our participants as the League forms an important part in your social lives. We would ask you to keep in touch, via telephone/social media, with your teammates and friends during this time; one of our team managers has asked that the following helplines be publicised, so that if anyone is in need of someone to talk too they can contact the appropriate helpline or contact your team manager’s; and we will all be back playing football very soon.
Dear website readers, first and foremost thanks from all the team and contributors for your continued support and making this website, in it’s first year the success that it is.
We have lots for you to catch up on today. The City Knights biography has been added to the team biographies page; across on Bradford City Disability page we have an interview with Matthew Hemmingway, Bradford City Disability defender/midfielder; and a Christmas message from the team at SYCAL – Mike, Darren, Sean, Colin and Margaret.
It’s been a year to forget, that’s for sure; but amongst all the doom and gloom, the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League managed to get two match days of seven-a-side football and two afternoons of five-a-side football after competition restarted after the lockdown. You can read the reports on the matches on the Results page of this website.
Secretary Darren Warner and the SYACL Committee meet regularly by Zoom to ensure that the preparations for a safe restart are agreed and communicated to everyone, and Chairman Mike Stylianou visited the venues with our Covid-19 Officer Colin Muncie to agree the game day protocols. These included, regrettably, a limit on the numbers able to attend, with no spectators allowed being the disheartening feature of the rulings by the venues.
On arrival, each player has a temperature check, and is provided with hand sanitiser. Groups are kept separate when not involved in a match, and fixtures are scheduled to minimise the number of teams present at the venue at any one time. In between matches, our referees-led by our own Sean Wright sanitise the equipment ahead of the next match.
We are continuously monitoring advice from the Government, Public Health England, the Football Association and the venues where our matches are played. At all times, the safety and well being of our participants is the overriding priority, so if the advice changes, we modify our match day protocols.
We have been running an extremely popular series of feature interviews with our players and coaches, so if there is someone you think deserves a feature on our website, just let us know.
Editor Margaret says ” Since our website started, we have had nearly 7,500 views, which is an average of about 1000 visits every month. Our Twitter audience is also growing – it’s above 100 now.”
Today it’s the turn of Doncaster Titans goalkeeper Josh Collinson to share his views of playing in the SYACL.
“My favourite part in playing in the SYACL is playing against different teams in order to keep pushing myself to improve my own form, whenever I’m in goal.
I would tell them that it’s ok to be shy and it’s ok to be nervous because joining a team and playing in the SYACL can be a big step. If they feel they are ready and willing to work hard, both as a player and in a team, then come along and be in it.”
Join us over the Christmas holidays for further updates from the SYACL.
Today we have an interview with Doncaster Titan’s coach, John Hibbert.
“I would say to a person who is a little shy – if you want to play in the SYACL group, do not be scared; we were all like this at first! We are like a family, so welcome my brother or sister!“
“I started by fetching my grandson to football because his dad was suffering from leukaemia. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me; I lost five stones in the first year and it has done wonders for my self-esteem. Now I’m a Club Doncaster Titans coach and I’m loving it at the minute.“
Turn over and read the full interview on the Titan’s page.
Today it’s the turn of another Doncaster Titan player to give his views on the SYACL. We have other club interviews in the pipeline.
“The club is a massive family to me and will be part of me until I cannot kick a ball anymore. The staff and team are all great and we all enjoy each other’s company.
It’s well organised, and great to be part of a big organisation that puts hard work in to give us all the opportunity to play football.“
Turn over to Doncaster Titans page and read the rest of the interview.
Today we have added another Doncaster Titans interview with Phil Siddons; turn over to the Titans page to read it.
Phil Siddons
“It’s like playing a game with family, we are all there for each another. We are all treated equally and there is no discrimination about anyone’s problems.”
Also last Sunday’s match reports for Bradford sides have been added on the results page.
Cold, wet conditions can’t prevent a thrilling five-a side afternoon.
It was cold and the rain fell virtually all afternoon, apart from an important twenty-minute window part way through the afternoon; but the weather was pretty much forgotten as the tackles and goals flew in during a thrilling afternoon. Matchday Two of the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League didn’t disappoint, with ten fiercely-contested fixtures spanning two and a half hours of top-level Disability Football at Goals Sheffield, writes Margaret Gregory for www.sheffieldabilitycountsleague.com
The afternoon also featured an emotional tribute to the League’s Ash Prendergast, with Ash’s family and coaching colleague John Nugent there to celebrate the life of this much-loved young man.
Turn over to the RESULTS PAGE to read the full account, and see the pictures of the afternoon.
So, that does it for competitive action in the SYACL for 2020 – a strange, sad, and forgettable year. Seven-a-side and five-a-side action is due to resume in January 2021, again without spectators, and ONLY if we can ensure the safety of all of our participants.
During Sunday’s games we are planning a memorial at 2.40pm for Ash Pendergast, who sadly passed away on April 3rd 2020 from a brain haemorrhage at only 36 years of age, to celebrate his life and time with the League.
Ash died at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital leaving behind partner Rachel, step daughter Olivia,13 and a 14-month-old son George.
He was a family man and was loving being a father. He was fun, kind and generous and his passing is a tragic loss to all who knew him.
Ash was full of life and he loved an adventure outdoors. A committed lover of football and he was a keen Sheffield Wednesday fan.
Originally from Edenthorpe where he had lived with his parents Maureen and Alan, sister Hollie and brother Kerris, he previously worked as a sports teacher at Doncaster Deaf College but had recently begun working for a block paving company.
Ash’s sister Hollie told us that they had recently received a gift from the organ donation and transplantation team – 15 gold heart brooches, each one representing an organ donated by Ash following his death. She told us, “we are extremely proud to know that he has helped so many others in such a special way.”
Hollie continued, “due to the government guidelines that were in place at the time of Ash’s death his funeral service had to be private, being attended only by a small number of people. The service was, however, filmed and they hope to distribute this accordingly afterwards.”
A fundraiser was set up as a financial help to Rachel and their children with the response outstripping the £500 target within the first ten days; as nearly £17,500 was raised and it stands as a real testament to the man Ash was.
“He would do anything for anyone and the wonderful messages and donations have proved that.”
Ash’s family will be joining us along with John Nugent ( Doncaster Deaf College ). Any club or players who may want to give the family a card are welcome, I’m sure it would be well appreciated. Apologies to Spartans and Wisewood, in the interests of safety and numbers already on the pitch we cannot permit you into the venue for the memorial.
Arrival times – 13.10pm …Bradford City Emerald, Bradford City Fuchsia, Derek Dooley Blue & Derek Dooley White. 14.10pm …Doncaster Titans Blue, Doncaster Titans Yellow, City Knights Red & City Knights White. 15.00pm …Spartans FC & Wisewood.
South Yorkshire Ability Counts League 