The national football teams of Finland and Wales played each other in Helsinki on 10 October. The day before, a group of Welsh football fans made a trip to the suburb of Malminkartano to participate in creating a unique football event for disabled children and their families at the Jaatinen Centre.

The Welsh football fan association Gôl have a tradition of supporting children’s activities whenever they visit a country for a game. On Friday, 9 October, the fans visited the Jaatinen Centre to donate two giant footballs and a WII game console system.

The two footballs were immediately put to test, as the families formed two teams with one of the Welsh fans acting as the referee. Styles of playing were numerous: some players manoeuvred their own wheelchairs, others had an assistant, while a few enthusiasts tried to “kick” the ball with foamed plastic swimming aids.

The afternoon was such a success that the Jaatinen Centre decided to organise more regular practice and games for their own Welsh-themed football team next spring.

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