West Brom boys aiming to conquer the world at powerchair World Cup

Chris Gordon and Marcus Harrison will realise their boyhood dreams in Florida from July 5 to July 9 by representing their country against the rest of the world.

Gordon, who is 27 and from Stourbridge, suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disorder characterised by loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting.

Harrison is 18 and from Liverpool, although he travels down to West Bromwich because the Albion team is so good.

“I’m made up and really excited to be representing my country”, beamed World Cup debutant Harrison. “It’s always been a dream to go to a different country and finally go to a World Cup.”

Gordon insists that despite his father, Colin, being the manager of the national side it was never guaranteed that he would be selected for the competition.

“I was hoping that I would be selected, but you never know until you get the nod.”

Having been a wheelchair user his entire life, playing international sport was not something Harrison thought possible.

“I didn’t think I’d ever play football,” he said. “It’s good to represent your country.”

Despite powerchair football now being an international competition, Gordon explained that it wasn’t so organised when he first got involved with the sport.

“When I started, there wasn’t a national team,” he said. “We were playing with standard day chairs with a car tyre strapped to the front and a great big football, knocking it around a sports hall. It’s great to have been involved from the start.”

Ten countries will be competing in the third edition of the tournament, including Uruguay and Japan, but Gordon revealed it’s the hosts and the French who the English side worry about the most.

“The USA have won the last two (World Cups) and we lost to France in the European Tournament final, so they’re a pretty good team as well.”

The Albion Foundation, which is the charity arm of the Baggies, will be sending the joint-highest number of players to the competition and the charity’s impact on the sport of powerchair football hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players.

“The Foundation have been great,” added Gordon. “They’ve been great to let me develop as a player and also get involved and help others as well.

“There’s a pathway in the Albion itself, for players to come in, learn the sport and then develop and hopefully go on to achieve what myself and Marcus have managed to achieve and play for England.”

The England side will be looking to go one step further than they did four years ago, when they finished runners-up.