It's Saturday morning in Ordsall Park, and Ordsall Juniors Under 9's are warming up for another game against Monton Rebels, who were also their opponents when Salford Star first covered the Juniors search for a sponsor (see previous article here).
The difference is that today Ordsall Juniors are sporting a brand new red kit, with the club badge and a logo for the Sports Therapy Foundation.
"It's a charity we set up to kind of help kids to get involved in sport a bit more" says the Foundation's Richard Johnson "We're involved in a few different things, and I live in Salford. So when I saw the article in Salford Star I thought maybe that's something we could do, to give the kids a bit of self esteem, especially when they're playing other teams in kits. They look happy and we're just trying to do what we can to keep kids involved in sport."
As well as being involved in the Foundation, Richard runs his own sports therapy clinic with business partner, Christian Platts. They say it's a growing, much needed industry that is overtaking physiotherapy at the highest levels of sport.
"We've got graduates of ours at Chelsea, Twickenham, Fulham, Dundee and three at Manchester City, and we're trying to get the industry promoted through to the bigger organisations that are solely working with physiotherapists" says Christian
"I'm treating a couple of Premiership footballers and they literally will go home abroad for treatment because they think that the physios in England are shocking" he adds "They'd rather get on a plane for a few thousand miles to get quality treatments but there are good therapists out there. People just aren't aware, and this is part of the promotion of the industry, to raise its profile."
Richard adds that sports therapy is about getting injuries fixed quickly, as opposed to waiting months for an injury to heal…
"The downside is that it's all private treatments" he says "Hopefully, if we can raise its profile, we can get sports therapy on the NHS because it's needed."
In the meantime, they are hoping to raise funds through the Foundation to offer more young sports people free treatments, as well as the voluntary work they do with young athletes and sponsoring teams like Ordsall Juniors.
On the pitch, the Juniors get beat 2-1 by Monton Rebels, who score the winner five minutes from the end. Overall, though, the new Under 9's team is holding its own in the league.
"The last few performances have been really good, and the team is now getting the work ethic that we're trying to get into them" says manager Paul Houghton "The kids are made up with the new kits, and I am too, especially because the sponsorship is sports related, it looks great on the shirts."
The Ordsall Juniors' relationship with the Sports Therapy Foundation is set to flourish, with possible future help with coaching, sports health education and, of course, sports therapy in case of any injuries.
The Sports Therapy Foundation officially launches in May – see www.sportstherapyfoundation.info (website currently under construction)
The Sports Therapy Foundation is backed by the Sports Therapy Organisation – click here for further info
Main photo shows the team with sponsors Richard Johnson and Christian Platts, with Ordsall Juniors manager, Paul Houghton (centre)
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