Bishopbriggs man gets top award for promoting wheelchair football

A man from Bishopbriggs is being recognised for his work helping wheelchair users to take part in football.

Twenty-six year-old Kieran Burns took home the ‘Champion for Change Award’ at the inaugural Variety Club Disability Sports Awards in Leeds on Monday night.

Kieran plays and coaches for a team he set up in his town of Bishopbriggs.

After almost a decade in the game playing for established clubs in Scotland and England, Kieran decided to take the initiative and establish FC United in October 2022.

The new club which competes in the National Premiership - Scotland’s top wheelchair league - has been such a success that the club has jumped from six to 15 players.

Kieran said: When you are in a wheelchair you can have a lot of things going on in your life and it can have a big impact on your mental health.

"I felt there was a gap in wheelchair football to provide proper support for players and that was the motivation for setting up FC United.

“My main goal every week is to make the players smile while working with them to help them become technically better.

“It’s about giving someone in a wheelchair the opportunity to be themselves, improve their confidence and make new friends while playing football.”

He and cyclist Niall Guite were awarded the ‘Champion for Change Award’.

Nathalie McGloin, the only female tetraplegic racing driver in the world, was among the nominees for this category.

Kieran added: “I work with the players to improve their technical ability, while creating a happy, player-safe, and player-first environment for those with disabilities to feel welcome and be themselves.”

“Watching the growth of everybody in the team this year has been incredible. And seeing how the players lives have changed and how happy they feel to be part of this community, it means so much to me.”

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