Sean Wright is deserved recipient of FA Grassroots Award.
Building on the success of 2023, when the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League was named the Sheffield FA’s Grassroots Football League of the Year for 2023, and our wonderful Chair Mike Stylianou voted creator of the Positive Environment Award in that same year for his work with the South Yorks ACL and the Blades Superdraw League, our referee’s secretary Sean Wright was elected the FA’s Match Official of the Year for 2025.
www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com caught up with Sean before our first Matchday of the 2025/6 season and asked him about the award. Twelve grassroots volunteers were recognised at Wembley on the 10th August, ahead of the Community Shield final, and although Sean – a referee for 22 years – was on holiday on the day of the presentation, his family collected the award on his behalf.
Not to be outdone, we caught up with Sean ahead of our first matchday at Concord and asked him how he first heard about the award.
“ I was contacted by Ben Grady from the Football Association, ” Sean told us. “ He said that they had reviewed all the applicants nominated and that I had won the award. ”
We asked Sean if his award had pride of place in his house?
“ My award is still at my brother’s in London, ” he admitted. “ I’ve not been able to put it on display yet! ”
Pleasant, dry, breezy conditions greeted players and supporters as the 2025/26 South Yorkshire Ability Counts League season began last Sunday at Concord Sports Centre in Sheffield. Both the Premier and Championship divisions launched their campaigns on the opening matchday.
This season, the league comprises just two divisions. Barton Inclusive and Glossop have opted to compete closer to home, while some teams have joined the successful SHCFA Pan-Disability League, which now boasts a thriving Junior section. Many former players are also taking up opportunities in mainstream football, which is excellent news and demonstrates the increasing pathways available for Disability participants across the County.
Premier Division Round-Up
On Pitch One, Sean officiated the first match, where Chris Jo’s sharp, close-range finish secured three points for Mansfield Town Blue in a narrow victory over a disciplined Club Doncaster Titans (White) side.
Newly-promoted Hillsborough Hornets (Gold) started their Premier Division journey on a high, claiming a 2-0 win against Sheffield FC (White) in a fiercely contested match that highlighted two outstanding goalkeepers. The decisive moment came courtesy of a well-worked goal from Alex Whitehead, tipping the balance in the Hornets’ favour.
The third fixture saw Club Doncaster Titans (White) and Sheffield (Blue) play to an exciting, goalless draw, sharing the points. In a dramatic finish, Titans nearly claimed victory, striking the post with the last kick of the game.
Sheffield (White) demonstrated excellent teamwork and clinical finishing in their next match, defeating Mansfield Town AC (Blue) 3-0 with three superb goals. While the scoreline may have been harsh on an impressive Mansfield side, Sheffield’s two well-crafted team goals and a brilliant individual left-footed effort ensured they earned their win.
The final Premier Division game on Pitch Three saw Hornets (Gold) achieve a perfect start, overcoming Sheffield (Blue) in a hard-fought encounter. A standout moment was Hornets’ goalkeeper making a superb penalty save following a handball in the area, after which the Hornets capitalised with an excellent team goal, again finished by Alex Whitehead. As the dust settled on five thrilling games, the Hornets found themselves three points clear at the top of the table.
Championship Division Highlights
Brian Eaton was in charge on Pitch Two, overseeing a shortened Championship schedule due to Aston Swallownest (Blue) withdrawing from matchday because of late player availability issues.
The opening game saw Club Doncaster Titans (Red) earn a hard-fought point against a strong Wheatley Wanderers side, who are always well supported at Concord. Following a friendly in which Derek Dooley (Red) edged out Mansfield Town (Amber), they immediately returned to action against Club Doncaster Titans (Red) and secured a 2-0 victory, sealing the result with a late goal. Titans’ John Hibbert acknowledged the great effort his team put into both matches.
In the final fixture, Wheatley appeared set to dominate after an early lead against Mansfield Amber, but Mansfield responded before half-time to draw level, and both sides ultimately shared the points.
Tribute and Sportsmanship
During the afternoon, all teams paid tribute to Referee’s Secretary Sean Wright, who was a well-deserved recipient of the FA’s Match Official of the Year Award. Further details about Sean’s award can be found at http://www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com.
Congratulations are also due to all players and coaches for an outstanding day of football at Concord. The behaviour was exemplary, the matches were keenly contested, and the standard of football was excellent throughout.
Looking Ahead
It was a fantastic start to the season. Next Sunday, the league’s five-a-side teams will begin their campaigns at Goals Sheffield. We look forward to seeing everyone there.
The Children’s Hospital Charity and the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League team up for new outdoor facilities at the Ryegate Centre
An update on the results of the Christmas 2023/24 successful fundraising campaign by SYACL.
A new outdoor play hut has been installed in the gardens at Sheffield Children’s Hospital – Ryegate Centre – and today, players from the S Yorks ACL visited the site to cut the ribbon on this fantastic new play area complete with learning and play facilities.
For readers who are unaware of the Ryegate Centre it is part of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust which is one of only three dedicated children’s hospital trusts in the UK and provides integrated healthcare for children and young people, including community and mental health care as well as acute and specialist services.
They see children from 0 – 6 in most cases and in some cases up to 18 and provide a full range of services for residents of Sheffield and South Yorkshire as well as specialised services for patients from across the United Kingdom.
Ryegate House provides overnight short breaks for children and young people aged 0-19 with complex neuro-disabilities, multiple and profound physical and learning disabilities and life-limiting conditions. They aim to provide a home from home environment where a personalised approach is taken for the needs of each child or young person.
The South Yorkshire Ability Counts League is a pan-disability football competition, involving around 600 participants ranging in age from Under-12 to adult; players are of any gender, and live with a range of disabilities – physical, educational and emotional. The League was voted League of the Year by Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA in 2023 and runs a Fundraising campaign each Christmas.
The 2023/24 fundraiser raised £3090, specifically for outdoor play enhancements at Ryegate. Many of our players have benefited from the fantastic respite care offered by the team at Ryegate and so the cause was even more heartfelt.
The appeal total included a fantastic donation of £500 from Sheffield Forgemasters.
Welcomed by SCH’s Carly-Ann Whyman, who heads up the Ryegate Centre, and support team member Tanya, Spartans team mates Richard, Jake, Paul and Sam officially opened the hut. The guys were joined by The Hospital Charity Chair John Armstrong and Cheryl Davidson, Head of Community and Events and a Governor at SCH.
Also in attendance were S Yorks ACL Chair Mike Stylianou and League President Colin Muncie.
Mike commented, “ it’s great for our players to see the result of their efforts and for us to recognise the fantastic care Carly-Ann and her team provide. We hope that this is just the start of a team effort involving the Charity, our League and the Ryegate Centre. ”
The Christmas 2024/25 appeal is still open.
You can read more about the hopes and aims of the League at : -www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com.
Goal scorers, Captain James 1, Jordan 3, Josh 7, Ethan 1. Recognition to Andrew, who did a sterling job in the nets keeping many on target shots out.
Thankyou to player I who came to support her teammates.
Coach Allan shares his thoughts on the day.
“ Bradford edged the first half but Tigers came back to win 5-3. In the second game the team performed even better winning 5-0, but the best game of the day was their third match which ended in 2-1 win against Hillsborough after a very close game. ”
Coach Chris chose Elliott as the player of the day. “ Elliott took a bit of time to get up to speed but when he did there was no holding him back.
I’ve honestly never seen this young man get stuck in as much as he did today. ”
Josh made his competitive debut today and at the post match McDonald’s meet up he explained to Jo how he felt running out with his new team for the first time.
“ I had a fantastic day today. I scored my first goal in my first game, and we won all three matches. That made me feel better and more confident as the games progressed. I believe I can contribute positively to the team and bring a lot of energy to it .” Josh
His parents echoed his sentiments adding, “ we are delighted to witness Joshua playing in his team for the first time today. The smile on his face indicates his happiness, which, in turn, brings joy to us, his parents. ”
After two games and a plethora of goals this intrepid little band of ballers lifted the championship league trophy. With almost the full team in attendance (thank you to injured player George who came to support his teammates) with gleeful faces the boys shared a memorable moment that will last a lifetime.
Lets have a shoutout to our goal scorers of the day Neil, Lucas and Jamie, a notable mention to Ollie who always has the best smile on his face and whilst a skilful player also genuinely looks thrilled to be playing football.
Coach Chris announced his player of the day was EJ. “ I chose EJ for his ‘can do’ positive attitude and exemplary conduct, a shining example of a BIFC team player. ”
Captain Leon says, “I can’t wait to bring the cup to training so we can celebrate again and drink fizzy water from it like the pro’s do. ”
Coach Paul shares this message to the team. “ Well done to all the players not just for these games, for the whole season. You’ve all come together as a team in your first season together. Even when injured you come out in force to support each other, you got the result you hoped for and are league champions and I think you all deserve a pat on the back for your team work and effort, best bit is, you all had fun. ”
And the final words go to grandparent Kev.
“ Well what a great day for BIFC football teams all round. The Tigers excelled in all their matches and the Comets having only just lost their initial match came back to win their second game . This cemented their place as Under 12 league champions. Having 2 children who both play for the Comets I couldn’t be more proud of this result and of the team as a whole, as without each other and the inclusivity of the team and support from BIFC this wouldn’t have been possible. Thank you to all involved both behind and in front of the scenes. Great finality to a great season. ”
South Yorkshire Ability Counts League Christmas Message from our Chair, Mike Stylianou.
Hi, everyone.
Just a quick note to wish all of your families and friends a Happy Christmas.
Last year, the South Yorks ACL raised over £3000 in our Christmas appeal for those living with physical and educational disabilities. The money will be used by Sheffield Children’s Hospital to provide external facilities for residents at the Ryegate Centre.
We were proud to present a cheque to Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity and are delighted to understand that the works are under way. It was a great afternoon at Sheffield Goals Centre, when Jeremy and Sarah Makepeace from Sheffield Forgemasters and Cheryl Davidson from the Children’s Hospital Charity joined us for a wonderful afternoon.
This year, we set our sights on a similar amount in support of the National Autistic Society. At the time of writing, and with one matchday fundraiser to go in January, we are well within sight of our £3k target for the second year in a row. Thank you to everyone for their contributions.
Our League enjoys a fantastic reputation in Disability Football. During the season, we constructed a disciplinary process founded on education, rather than sanction, and we would like to thank our Referee Secretary, Sean, and his colleagues Brian, Tony, Danny, Dan and Peter for refereeing our matches with such skill and empathy.
I would also like to thank Margaret Gregory for her fantastic work on our League website, at wwwsouthyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com and to our regular matchday contributors.
Finally, Colin, Paul and I would like to thank all of our coaches, players, families, carers and supporters for another fantastic year.
Merry Christmas and have a safe and healthy New Year.
We wish to extend a special thank you to Liam’s parents, Ann and Paul, for their unwavering support. It is our privilege to honor Liam’s life through the beautiful game of football. We eagerly await your visit to our club.
“ The outstanding winners,” said South Yorkshire Ability Counts League Chair Mike Stylianou. “
Last Sunday’s www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com adult five-a-side Divisional Tournament gave the League the opportunity to recognise one of its member teams, Derek Dooley Blue.
The team, coached by Claire Cowlishaw and Nathan Pearson were awarded the Annual Darren Warner Fairplay Trophy for the adult five-a-side category.
@SYorksACL asked Chair Mike Stylianou about the history of the award.
“ The Shield was created in memory of Darren Warner, who sadly passed away in 2021, ” Mike told us.
“ Darren was one of the founding members of the current league when it became independent from the FA. The League’s ethos of fair play and sportsmanship was typified by Darren and the teams he was involved with, so the Trophy honours that legacy by rewarding the adult team from both the 5 & 7-a-side sections achieving the highest respect scores as decided by our referees. ”
“ Derek Dooley Blue were the outstanding winners of the 5-a-side section, ” Mike explained. “ They were unanimously chosen by the league’s referees because of their respectful attitude to opponents, referees and each other. They typify our League’s ethos of fair play. ”
Claire, the Dooley Blue coach, was delighted by the award.
“The team were so happy winning the Darren Warner Fairplay award this season,” she told us. “ It feels that they are being recognised for all their hard work and great sportsmanship. They play with a fun attitude, and they are always happy with their performance – even when they don’t win – as long as they have given 100% and play with a smile! ”
If anyone can recommend a good cabinet maker, it might be worth passing his details on to Derek Dooley Academy coach, Nathan Pearson. He’s going to need a bigger trophy cabinet – and well deserved too !
Nathan, a popular coach and player with the http://www.southyorkshireabilitycountsleague.com, had already won the Disability Pathway Coach of the Year at the Sheffield and Hallamshire FA’s Grassroots Football Awards in Sheffield in October of last year when he arrived at the Disability Sports Yorkshire Awards Dinner at Elland Road in Leeds on 1 st March.
Nathan was one of the winners of a “Service to Sport – Volunteer of the Year Award,” so we decided to catch up with him to learn a little more about his well-deserved award and about the evening.
SYorksACL: – It’s another well – deserved award, Nathan. Congratulations! Tell us about this recognition.
Nathan: – Thanks so much, this award means a lot to me because it’s about my volunteering which I have been doing for a lot of years now, and to be recognised for it is truly outstanding.
SYorksACL: – Who nominated you and for what did you receive the award?
Nathan: – For this award I was nominated by the amazing Dawn Wood, Sheffield City Trust, Yorkshire Sport Foundation – Tom Hughes and Sheffield City Council – Gareth Hayden in the category ‘volunteer of the year’.
S Yorks ACL: – Tell us a little about the evening and who made the presentation? Who came along to support you?
Nathan: – It was a truly amazing evening of awards for lots of different categories for lots of amazing people. It was presented by Pennine Recruitment; the people who came along included my brilliant dad and brother and the amazing Julie Callaghan, also the amazing Claire and Richard from Derek Dooley.
S Yorks ACL: – You’ve had a brilliant year and are known to all at the SYACL as a really special coach. What are your ambitions as a coach in the future?
Nathan: – Thanks so much, that means a lot to me. For me, my ambitions are always to try to inspire young people with disabilities to participate in sport. In my opinion it doesn’t matter what sport I’m involved with as long as I can motivate the participants to try sport and to have lots of fun doing it; that will always make me extremely happy.
On the third anniversary of the death of our fixtures secretary, Darren Warner, footballers from Club Doncaster Titans, the club Darren formed to give his son an opportunity to play competitive football, gathered together last week to celebrate Darren’s life and to play a match to commemorate his passing.
Pictures of the event at Doncaster, together with a picture of Darren on matchday duty and with Mike and Sam.
Together with Chair and Darren’s good friend Mike Stylianou, and with the support of Sheffield FA’s Sam Firth, the South Yorkshire Ability Counts League set off on an upward trajectory which continues to this day.
v Bradford 5-2
v Sheffield Black 5-0
v Hillsborough Hornets 2-1
Sat: U12 | U16 | open age (inclusive) 
Baysgarth School, Barton-upon-Humber 
11am – 3pm
£20 per team 
South Yorkshire Ability Counts League 