Sport can be Special for some

I had pledged not to write about sport. I'm a geek on the subject, you see. And I could bore you for ages on European Cup winners, test match batting records and prolific try scorers. I know a remarkable amount of old rubbish.

But on a feature for the paper the other day (there's the plug), I witnessed something that brought home to me what a great thing sport can be.

I was invited down to take a look at a training session for the 1066 Specials. For those not in the know, the Specials were set up to give children and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to play football.

Obviously, it's a great thing. Players learn about team work, increase their confidence, make great friends and gain mental and physical benefits.

What I noticed watching a match though, put professional footballers to shame. There was no swearing at the referee, no unsporting behaviour, few fouls and genuine concern if an opposition player looked injured.

There were plenty of smiles, handshakes and excited laughs as players really enjoyed their Saturday morning run-out.

And watching football on television that weekend, the difference was staggering.

Ok, they're not professional players at the Specials, nothing like. But that doesn't mean they're not competitive. It's just they play the sport for the right reasons.

I love football, but more and more I find myself disillusioned as pampered pros whinge, swear, hack and dive their way through their careers. You know the ones I'm talking about, even if you're not much of a footy fan. I'm sure you can name a few of the more odious individuals on 50,000 a week or more. And no, I'm not just jealous.

In fact, it's not just professional football which is suffers from such unpleasantness. Kids' matches over the local park often end up as swearathons with competitive parents kicking lumps out of each other. Seriously, I've see it.

It's great that somewhere the sport is still being used in a way we can be very proud of.

And the next time my beloved football gets me down, I'll revisit the Specials to remind me how things can be. It might not hurt some professional footballers to do the same.