Deaf Rhinos FC are Lancashire FA Ability Counts Cup Champions

Dewan Choudhury, Football Development Officer, Hopwood Hall College, Phillip Hughes, Asif Amin, Ali Forisha, Ricky O’ Conner, Mahmoud Benelhag, Scott Campbell, Rukon Rahman, Manager, Deaf Rhinos FC Bottom row, left to right: Haitham El-Madani, Simon Derbyshire, Alex Wilsoz, Sam Khalifa, Lee Garside

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Deaf Rhinos FC, a team of deaf players that are based in Hopwood Hall College in Middleton, won the Lancashire FA Ability Counts Cup on Saturday 27 June.

On a warm sunny day, 36 disability teams from throughout Lancashire and surrounding areas battled it out in Leyland for the Lancashire FA Ability Counts Cup.

In the group stages the Rhinos came second, qualifying for the knockout stage, with the highlight being a 3-0 win against their main rival in the league throughout the season, the league champions Blackpool CT.

In the semi-final the Rhinos came up against the  impressive Lancs and Mersey Amputee FC side. In an entertaining match the Rhinos won 1-0 to go through to the final to meet the defending champions, Sir Tom Finney FC side from Preston.

The final was competitive and an end-to-end affair with good quality football being played by both teams, but it was the Rhinos won 2-1 to become champions for the very first time and in their debut season.

Rukon Rahman, manager of Deaf Rhinos FC, said: "We have gone from a small group of deaf lads that socialise together to a football club that have has just won the Lancashire FA Ability Counts Cup; I am really pleased for all the players and everyone involved with the club, they have done the deaf community proud."