Deaf Football Academy at Hopwood

Deaf Rhinos FC team picture with manger and former Hopwood Hall student Rukon Rahman (far left), MP Jim Dobbin (centre) and Hopwood Hall Football Development Officer Dewan Choudhury (far right)

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Young deaf and hearing impaired people from throughout the Greater Manchester area joined the Deaf Awareness Week activities in May 2013, at Hopwood Hall College in Middleton, to celebrate the success of the Deaf Football Academy at the College and the Deaf Rhinos Football Club.

The event was hosted by the Hopwood Hall College’s Sports Arena team as part of their Football Development Programme, in partnership with the Lancashire FA and the Football Foundation.

Deaf Education and Advocacy Fellowship (DEAF CiC), an organisation which provides an advocacy service for deaf and disabled people by signposting them towards education and employment opportunities, kindly funded a new football kit for the Deaf Rhinos FC team. The new kit was presented to the team by the Director of DEAF, Esmail Patel and the MP for Heywood and Middleton, Jim Dobbin, and it was greatly appreciated by all the players.

The Deaf Rhinos team is made up of players from throughout the Greater Manchester area, some living locally close to the College in Middleton, others travelling from Oldham, Bolton, and Wigan. They all come to access free football sessions for deaf and hearing impaired people at Hopwood Hall College every Sundays. Over 60 people have accessed these free sessions and with the help of the Football Development team the Deaf Rhinos FC was formed. The team is managed by Rukon Rahman, who is deaf, and is a former student at the College.

The event involved a football match between the Deaf Rhinos and a team made up of staff from the College’s Sports Arena. The staff team also included volunteers who assist in the many sports activities the college provides. The match was competitive and played in a great spirit, with an eager Hopwood staff team, quietly confident of victory before the game, dominating the first half to go 2-0 up. In the second half the Deaf Rhinos re-grouped and with the staff team slowly showing signs of fatigue, they recovered from being 2-0 down at half time and 4-3 down with 5 minutes to go till the end of the game, to snatch a dramatic injury time equaliser to make it a deserved 4-4 draw, sparking great celebrations for the deaf players and spectators.

The match was a great success, enjoyed by more than 100 people, players and supporters, hearing and deaf.

Esmail Patel, Director of DEAF CiC, said: “We are always looking to support organisations and promote initiatives that encourage and empower deaf people to achieve their personal goals. Deaf Rhinos Deaf FC is one we wholeheartedly support.”

Jim Dobbin, MP, said: “This event is a great example of how the community can come together to promote social inclusion. The Deaf Rhinos team have done the deaf community proud through their great effort to encourage young deaf people to get involved and be active through sports. I hope more young people are attracted to this great initiative at Hopwood Hall College”

Terry Morley, Centre Director for Sports & Public Services at Hopwood Hall College, said: “Deaf Rhinos FC is a great project and we at Hopwood Hall College, with the great team of sports coaches we have, will continue to promote disability sports. I am particularly pleased to see students of the College, both current and former, volunteering and getting involved.”

If you are deaf or hearing impaired and would like to get involved with Deaf Rhinos FC please contact: Hopwood Hall College Sports Arena on 0161 653 2070 (voice) or Dewan Choudhury (Football Development Officer) on 07980 041 772 (text).