Boy with cerebral palsy becomes first FA official wheelchair referee
- 5 years ago
Football-mad Nathan Mattick has given his disability the red-card and become Britain's first wheelchair-bound referee.
Read more at SWNS.com
The 19-year-old was born with cerebral palsy which left him unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair.
But he was determined not to let the condition stop him and set about making his dreams of becoming a referee reality.
His hard work has seen him become Britain's first official ref in a wheelchair and he now regularly takes charge of games for both able-bodied and disabled players.
Nathan officiates indoors and out, on hard all-weather surfaces which are suited to his electric wheelchair.
Nathan, from Cheltenham, Glos., said: "I was so nervous the first time I refereed at a game.
"I thought the players and managers would give me a hard time because I was in a chair and they would question why I was refereeing able-bodied football.
"But I had no problems. People with disabilities can do what able-bodied people do. We just do it in a different way. I have cerebral palsy but that doesn't mean I can't do things.
"It's important you respect every single person whether they have a disability or not. We can all contribute to this world.
Read more at SWNS.com
The 19-year-old was born with cerebral palsy which left him unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair.
But he was determined not to let the condition stop him and set about making his dreams of becoming a referee reality.
His hard work has seen him become Britain's first official ref in a wheelchair and he now regularly takes charge of games for both able-bodied and disabled players.
Nathan officiates indoors and out, on hard all-weather surfaces which are suited to his electric wheelchair.
Nathan, from Cheltenham, Glos., said: "I was so nervous the first time I refereed at a game.
"I thought the players and managers would give me a hard time because I was in a chair and they would question why I was refereeing able-bodied football.
"But I had no problems. People with disabilities can do what able-bodied people do. We just do it in a different way. I have cerebral palsy but that doesn't mean I can't do things.
"It's important you respect every single person whether they have a disability or not. We can all contribute to this world.