Gripper Ball

ID: A neon orange, hollow foam frame in the shape of a football. It has the same hexagon patterns as the outside of a football, but nothing between them. This gripper ball has a hollow frame, making it flexible. This ball is used by teams in Liverpool County Football Association’s Ability Counts league, such as Cerebral Palsy United FC. The Ability Counts league includes a wide range of disability teams. There are pan-disability teams, where players with a range of different lived experiences of disability at the same skill level can compete against each other, as well as various teams for different impairments. Mark Horlick, Football Development Officer, loaned this football to the museum via the LCFA. He says: “There are 65 disability football teams active within our leagues today. Each team and individual is ability banded and will play at a suitable level to help improve that individual.”