North East Parkies United players are ‘bursting with pride’ after winning the Cure Parkinson’s Cup at St George’s Park, just a year after playing their first-ever competitive matches at the same tournament.
Returning to the national training centre better prepared and more experienced, the side went unbeaten in the group stage before powering through to the final.
Impressive wins over Arsenal and Brighton set up a showdown with reigning champions Northern Lights, where the North East side held firm after taking the lead to secure a 1–0 victory.
“It was a great feeling, great for the guys to get our hands on the huge, heavy trophy at the end of the day,” said player Kevin Ramsey, speaking at a celebratory session at the Beacon of Light, where the team proudly showed off their kit, medals and silverware.
“There’s 24 teams at St George’s, every single player has Parkinson’s disease. It was a fantastic day, even without winning it, it was very emotional. For us to win the trophy, it was just amazing.
“It’s our third tournament overall. We played at St George’s last year and then played at a tournament in Scotland where we got to the semi-finals.
“We’d shown some clear improvement, but our aim this time was to get out of the group. We didn’t, for one minute, imagine we’d win it, scoring 14 goals and only conceding two.”
The team was born from Foundation of Light’s Neurological Walking Football sessions which allow anyone with a neurological condition to take part and keep physically active through walking football.
As the session grew and friendships formed, players took the step into competitive football, creating North East Parkies United.
“I was bursting with pride,” Kevin admitted on the feeling of achieving something with a group of friends.
“I couldn’t ask for a better team. It’s not just the football, but the support in life too. We support each other and going through our daily issues that we have with Parkinson’s, it’s vital to have that support network.”
Teammate Adrian Wrigley echoed that sentiment, saying: “The team spirit was marvellous for the day.
“We learned the lessons from previous cups, and everyone joined in and did their part. I think just about everybody had a little tear in the eye because of the achievement that we felt.”
For those with Parkinson’s disease, exercise is a vital component to maintaining balance, mobility and activities of daily living.
While sides from across the country compete for the cup, the supportive spirit amongst the close-knit Parkinson’s Walking Football community is strong.
“It was a great day for everybody,” Adrian added.
“The banter between all the teams and the whole community was really good, everybody was there for the enjoyment as well as the competition.
“The development since the start of the programme has been immense and everybody gets a massive amount out of it. Just to control the Parkinson’s and the mental health, it’s brilliant.”
Over 20 teams from across the North East, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire competed in the mixed and girls’ tournaments at Downhill, including two host squads from the Foundation of Light.
Foundation of Light are excited to introduce a new partnership with Northern Premier League club Consett AFC, creating a clear pathway for male football scholarship players.
The pioneering academy, based at the football club’s Belle View Stadium, aims to remove long-standing barriers to education and high-performance coaching.