Disability footballers score at Shrewsbury RAF event
Commentators often describe footballers wheeling away in delight, or turning a blind eye to foul play - but decorated stars of disability football brought to those phrases a whole new meaning.
Players and coaches from England's blind, wheelchair and cerebral palsy teams visited RAF Shawbury to give staff and trainees from the Defence College of Air and Space Operations a taste of their world.
For the recruits, the day was an opportunity to have a bit of fun, build spirit and be inspired. And you don't need to look much further than two of England's stars for stories of fighting back against the odds.
Jack Rutter, former player and now under-21 coach, was on the cusp of a professional contract with Birmingham City in 2009 before an unprovoked attack on a night out left his dreams in tatters.
He said: "I was 18 and was about to sign the deal, I got attacked on a night out, punched on the back of the head and knocked out.
"I fractured my skull in two places, suffered a brain injury and severed my cochlear nerve so I'm deaf in my right ear.
"I had to retire from professional football."
It was a devastating blow to Jack, for whom football was everything since he signed for the Blues aged 10.
But after a period away from the game and building up his balance, he returned to amateur football and eventually non-league, before joining up with the England side.
He has skippered his country at two World Cups and a Euros, but considers the pinnacle of his career leading out Team GB at the Rio Olympics against Brazil in a stadium covered in yellow and green, apart from a tiny group of GB supporters, including his mum and sister.
Jack ran the rule over trainees in a practice game in which they had limbs strapped to replicate the difficulties of cerebral palsy players.
He added: "It can be frustrating when you know what you could do before and you can't quite do it because your body won't allow it. This is what they are experiencing."
Blind player Owen Bainbridge wowed trainees with his silky footwork as he slalomed in and out of them.
The 28-year-old has been playing for the blind team since the age of 19. He was born with congenital glaucoma and had limited sight, before losing all his vision aged seven.
"It was hard growing up because there wasn't a lot of options for sport. I went to the blind college in Worcester and got involved with the blind football team.
"Not long after I got a phone call asking if I wanted to play for the England blind team."
He's since been to five European Championships and two World Cups, and travelling the globe and wearing the Three Lions on his chest has been a dream come true.
"I would never have thought this could be possible. I'm very privileged. Not everyone can play for their country."
After watching Owen, a centre-half who modestly claims he is one of the less skilful with the ball at his feet compared to his England team mates, I was curious to give it a go.
Blindfold on, with coach Adam Bendall shouting instructions, he rolled the ball. With my feet in the 10 and 2 position, I tried to follow the jingle of the ball, which has a bell inside.
Many will remember the much maligned Paddy Power advert from 2010 when a cat runs into the middle of a blind football match and a player boots it into a tree. Well there was no danger of any felines being harmed in the making of this match.
I could barely trap the ball without falling over or weirdly waving a leg, and passing it back to Adam? Forget it. Though some of my old Sunday League team mates might not have noticed much difference to my usual, limited abilities.
A far cry from Owen, who had no trouble killing it dead and zipping back where it came from.
Trainees also got a taste for wheelchair football, which was played with a huge ball and mobility-style scooters which appeared to have a bit more poke than your average granny-scooter, pottering around Morrison's.
Crank up the speed to five and you could slide and skid, but there was an overwhelming feeling of desperately wanting to boot the ball.
FA talent pathway manager James Watkins hopes that days like today will help unearth more talented disability players to give the national squads a boost in years to come.
He said: "Some of our players play at a very high level. There are players out their in the amateur and semi-professional game, playing mainstream football who could be eligible to play for disability teams.
"A lot of them are hidden away so we're looking to find that talent."
Sergeant Andy Ford, who organised the event, said: "The staff and trainees had an educational and thought-provoking days and had great fun interacting with elite players."
Unbelievable, Jeff.
