England’s amputee side short of £50,000 for World Cup trip to Mexico

With no national funding in place, England’s men’s amputee team is attempting to raise the £50,000 required to attend the World Cup in Mexico this November. The Football Association does not include amputee football among the six para national teams it funds.

Every time Scott Rogers enters St George’s Park he notices a sign on the wall claiming the 330-acre site is the proud home of all England’s football teams. “I look at it every time and go, ‘Well, not all of them’,” Rogers says. As head coach, Rogers guided the England men’s amputee team to the Nations League trophy in 2023, yet that success has not translated into national financial support.

The squad’s lack of designated FA funding has left organisers responsible for securing the money needed to travel to Mexico in November. With the sum set at £50,000, those involved describe the task as a significant fundraising challenge for a team that has demonstrated competitive achievement on the international stage. The shortfall places the campaign’s participation in the tournament under pressure.

The contrast between the programme’s achievements and its funding status is stark: the side has secured major silverware but still operates outside the FA’s list of supported para national teams. The Football Association funds six para national teams, a policy that excludes amputee football and has forced the team to seek alternative sources to cover travel and tournament costs. That gap in official backing is central to the current appeal for funds.

Rogers’s role in guiding the team to the Nations League trophy in 2023 underlines the calibre of the side, even as logistical and financial obstacles persist. The visibility of the issue is heightened by the symbolic setting of St George’s Park and the sign that prompts Rogers’s wry observation about inclusion. Supporters and organisers now face the task of closing the financial gap if the squad is to take its place in November’s event.

Efforts to secure the £50,000 are ongoing, with the immediate objective focused on ensuring the team can travel to Mexico for the World Cup in November. Until the required funds are raised, the question of England’s participation remains uncertain, despite the team’s recent international success.