Published: Thursday, 15th May, 2008 09:25
County boys strike Euro football gold
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FOUR county footballers were part of a Lothian side who won a prestigious European tournament for players with learning disablities.
The county was represented by four players: Martin Strang from Ormiston, and Daniel Richardson, Steven Robertson and Darren Tait all from Musselburgh.
Centre forward Strang scored three goals in the tournament. Richardson put on some outstanding performances in goal and Robertson and Tait played their part in a defence which did not concede a single goal.
A team of 15 players and seven coaches from Lothian travelled to the annual Sctroumpfs tournament, an invitational event, held in Bernex, just outside Geneva.
The competition comprised teams from throughout Europe. They were split into two groups to play for a place in the final.
Lothian played against teams from France, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, Italy, Holland and Germany.
On the first day of the competition, the team played three games and won all of them. On day two, they played a further two games and won both.
On the third and final day they drew two games and won one.
The team won Group One with a total of 20 points, five ahead of their nearest rivals, and went through to the final against the winners of Group Two, Offenburgh from Germany.
Lothian produced an outstanding performance in the final to win 5-0 and bring the trophy back to Scotland.
Coach Mirren McDonald said: “We are very proud of all the players in the team.
“They have played great football and been fantastic ambassadors for Lothian Special Olympics Football with their attitude and sportsmanship both on and off the pitch.”
Lothian Special Olympics Football has been a very successful club over the past 15 years since they were first formed and county players have been prominent in that time.
At the 2005 Special Olympics summer national games in Glasgow, Strang won a gold medal in the 11-a-sides, Richardson a bronze in the five-a sides.
Tait’s team were fourth in their section in the fives.
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