“Our funding model is we come on the television and people donate, and we are so grateful for that – we would love to be able to thank everyone individually for that – but it’s not a funding model that is sustainable,” Rogers added.
“We have a good relationship with the FA, but the problem is at the moment the information that we are getting back from them is there isn’t the funding available to be able to bring amputee football under the FA’s umbrella.”
In the 2024-25 season, the FA generated a total turnover of £516m with an operating profit of £6m.
Meanwhile, England’s men’s team earned £21.5m in prize money for finishing third in this summer’s World Cup.
“It’s crazy. We’re kind of battling against the system,” said goalkeeper Thomas Atkinson.
“A lot of the teams we are competing against are full-time professionals, they are getting paid daily by clubs and the governing body, their national team fully supports them in everything they do.
“We’re definitely not one of those teams.”
The team have currently raised £32,427 of their £50,000 goal.
“We’re playing as a hobby in a sense. We’re having to pay to play whereas they’re getting paid to play,” Atkinson added.
“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. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
An FA spokesperson said: “The England amputee team is currently independent from the FA.
“We continue to work closely with the England Amputee Football Association to support, identify and help deliver their key priorities over the coming season, and the continued development of amputee football in England.”
Leave a Reply