FacebookScotland captain Andy Robertson has backed the country’s transplant football team as they embark on their European Championship dream.
Last year, Scotland was the only home nation not represented at the Transport Football World Cup, which took place in September in Cervia, Italy.
Duncan MacAulay, from Inverness, contacted Transplant Active, a charity dedicated to helping promote active recovery for transplant recipients after being surprised that Scotland didn’t field a team at the tournament.
Now, he has started a team of his own with the aim of competing in their first-ever major competition in April.
The team’s founder told STV News: “I had not long had a heart transplant, and I knew there was a Transplant World Cup in Italy coming up.
“I did some digging and noticed that no one had come forward to set up a Scottish transplant team. I then started pitching the idea of a team which would help spread the word about organ donation and promote active fitness for those recovering from organ transplants.
SNS Group“It felt like the right thing to do. We were given the go-ahead by Transplant Sport, and then we set up a Facebook page.
“I believe we have the opportunity to do something special here.”
In November, the team held their first training session at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, with families also invited to watch loved ones take to the pitch.
The sessions now take place monthly with players travelling from Aberdeenshire, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
Duncan believes that organ transplants give people another chance at life, and football helps connect those who have gone through similar ordeals.
He said: “There’s one player from Arbroath who was almost playing at a very high level, but he had heart issues.
“Since having his heart transplant, he is able to perform and is almost back to where he was. I thought a football team like this was the best way to help people be the best version of themselves.
“I had never met anyone who had gone through a transplant before this. The space is a great place for us to support each other and regain our fitness.”
The mixed-gender team now have their eyes set on the Euros in Oxford.
The squad has to be made up of between ten to 16 players who have undergone a solid organ, including stem cell, transplant, which has required the use of immunosuppressive drug therapy.
As the competition edges closer, more big names from the footballing world, including Scottish international Colin Hendry, have offered their support.
Duncan thinks reaching the Euros will be a massive milestone for the recently formed team.
The club manager added: “It will give us the opportunity to play against national teams who have also had transplants. Some people were quite emotional during the first training session.
“I think emotions will be running high for some players if we step on the pitch at the Euros.
“These big names are helping us promote organ donation.
“The ordeals players have gone through are being acknowledged, and now people realise they have the potential to achieve something big at a European and world level.”
To find out more about the team, click here.
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