FA's £516m turnover leaves amputee team crowdfunding for World Cup
England's reigning Nations League amputee champions may miss November's World Cup because the Football Association refuses to fund them, forcing players to crowdfund despite the governing body generating millions in annual profit.
England's men's amputee football team faces the prospect of missing November's World Cup in Mexico because of a severe funding shortfall. The reigning Nations League champions have launched a public crowdfunding campaign, aiming to raise £50,000 just to attend the tournament.
The financial reality of the team stands in stark contrast to the wealth of the wider English game. The Football Association reported a total turnover of £516m and an operating profit of £6m for the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, the able-bodied men's national team earned £21.5m in prize money alone for finishing third at this summer's World Cup.
Funding for the amputee programme was cut by the FA in 2006, forcing the England Amputee Football Association to operate independently as a charity. The organisation now relies entirely on donations and volunteers to run its men's, women's, and junior teams.
FA representatives did shadow the squad at the 2022 World Cup and subsequently made a funding offer. However, former head coach Scott Rogers said the proposal fell short of requirements. The FA has reportedly informed the association that it lacks the available funds to bring the sport under its institutional umbrella.
This leaves the players in a precarious position compared to their international rivals. Goalkeeper Thomas Atkinson noted that many competing nations treat their amputee players as full-time professionals, funded daily by their clubs and national governing bodies.
"We're playing as a hobby in a sense," Atkinson said. "We're having to pay to play whereas they're getting paid to play. I'm not even asking to get paid to play football, I just think we as an organisation, as England — one of the biggest countries in football — shouldn't be having our national team players having to pay to attend tournaments."
Rogers criticised the reliance on television appeals and public donations as an unsustainable funding model. "I see how hard they work, I see how hard the staff work, I see the sacrifices they make and the families make as well," he told BBC Breakfast. "To get to this point now and not be able to go potentially, it's criminal really."
The team has currently raised £32,427 of its £50,000 target. The BBC has contacted the FA for comment.
