A NORTHWICH MP celebrated a £75,000 investment into football in the county by taking part in a disability demonstration with members of the England Blind team.

Graham Evans, MP for Weaver Vale, met Dan English and Lewis Skyers at the Houses of Parliament to mark the launch of the FA’s Disability Football Development Fund.

The FA is committing £1.5million to the Fund between 20014 and 2017, which includes £75,000 for Cheshire FA.

Mr Evans said: “The FA is committed to delivering football for everyone. Through this funding The FA aims to gain more than 30,000 new participants with a disability in football and create almost 600 new disability football teams.

“The investment will be used to develop 27 projects across the country and will employ 17 Disability Officers to strategically manage the local provision.

“The remaining 10 projects will support existing provision delivered through professional football club community schemes, County Football Associations or third sector groups.”

Mr Evans, who took a penalty wearing a blindfold as part of the demonstration, believes the investment is a welcome boost to the disabled game in Cheshire.

“It was great to meet Lewis and Dan and speak to staff from The FA about the organisation’s commitment to Disability Football,” he added.

“Disability Football is the nation’s most played disability team sport and with this investment The FA aims to grow the sport even further.

“This investment is a welcome boost for the sport and I am so pleased that investment like this will open up football as a recreation and profession to so many more people.”