A good number of the Pontefract Pirates turned out in very wet conditions on Saturday to train
Pontefract Collieries have celebrated the tenth anniversary of the beginning of their well-known Disability section, the Pontefract Pirates.
This Saturday’s morning training session marked ten years since the first one way back in 2008. The Pirates were founded by Gary Smith and Trevor Waddington and have grown to be one of the biggest Disability clubs in the region.
Countless players have had life-changing opportunities on a national and worldwide stage and these opportunities continue to be available to this day. A number of players won medals at the UK Special Olympics in Sheffield in August, while players regularly get picked for the Mencap GB team which competes at the European Championships in Geneva every year.
Currently the Pirates have over 30 players, adult and junior, with disabilities and/or learning difficulties and that figure is always rising. A number of players from the first ever session still actively train and play for the club too.
The Pontefract Pirates Juniors team
An old picture of the Pirates