DONCASTER ENJOYS EXTRA FOOTBALL SUCCESS

Doncaster College Deaf Football Club lead the way in the regional qualifying FA Futsal League for the national finals to be held in Sheffield this June.

The college side is bidding to hold off the challenge of 16 other teams from Yorkshire and the North Midlands to reach the finals, to be staged at the city's English Institute of Sport.

The regional league - one of several across England - is taking place at the Hallam FM Sheffield United Academy.

George Harrison, the organising official of the tournament, said: "The
Doncaster players are a talented bunch of lads and the manager, Brian Green, is doing a great job. It's a fantastic feat considering they have had to overcome the problems of communicating with the referee.

"The officials already use additional signals in Futsal than for a normal eleven-a-side game. But with this team coming from the Doncaster College for the Deaf, the players have had to learn even more specific hand signals."

Reigning national champions, Sheffield Hallam, are hot on the heels of the Doncaster side after enjoying a 100 per cent record start to the season.
Hallam are one point behind the leaders, but have two games in-hand. The top eight teams go forward to a knockout competition to decide the regional winner.

* Futsal is FIFA's official version of 5-a-side football enjoyed by
millions of people across the world. The game is played on a pitch of
roughly 40m x 20m with a ball that is smaller than a standard one. There are no rebound boards and a match is played over two 20-minute halves.


Sheffield regional league standing

1. Doncaster College ------8--6--1--1-42-19--19
2. NACRO ------------------8--6--0--2-37-15--18
3. Hillsborough Phoenix ---8--6--0--2-34-14--18
4. Sheffield Hallam -------6--6--0--0-28--8--18
5. Slater Print Group -----8--6--0--2-33-19--18
6. HR Media ---------------8--4--2--2-31-25--14
7. Sh Univ. PR Group ------8--4--1--3-24-21--13
8. Westside Publishing ----8--4--0--4-27-19--12
9. Hallam FM --------------8--3--1--4-13-33--10
10. Sheff. Assay Office ---8--3--1--4-27-27--9
11. Rotherham Athletic ----8--3--0--5-23-27--9
12. York University -------7--3--0--4-17-24--9
13. Kulmir ----------------8--2--2--4-19-21--8
14. Sheffield Villains ----2--2--0--0-14--0--6
15. Aardvark Swift --------8--1--0--7-16-44--4
16. Peak 107 --------------7--0--0--7--7-37--0
17. Parson Cross ----------8--0--0--8-4--44--0