A Glasgow teen has made his parents “super proud” after being called up to play for Team Scotland at the Amputee Football European Championships 2024.
Harris Tinney, 16, from Bellahouston, will be representing his home nation after Scotland’s national amputee team qualified for the Euros last October.
The team competed in the European Amputee Football Federation (EAFF) Nations League in West Fife and after finishing with six points in their games, they proudly qualified for the European stage.
John Tinney, Harris’ dad and head coach of the national team and Amputee Football Association Scotland (AFAS), whom Harris plays for, said: “I’m super proud of him, he just has such a great attitude in life.
“When the team competed in the tournament in Fife, Harris was just ecstatic as soon as he realised the team had qualified.”
Harris first took up amputee football at the age of nine after losing his foot at just five days old.
“Harris has had a prosthetic foot since the day he could walk,” the 44-year-old told the Glasgow Times.
He continued: “His foot just didn’t develop, and he had no heel or toes.
“It was scary, but my wife (Lisa Tinney) and I are positive people and we have raised Harris with the attitude that he doesn’t have a disability.”
Having started with the juniors AFAS team, the striker was asked to join the senior’s squad when he was just 14 years old and has also continued to train with Palace Park, a ‘mainstream’ football team.
Now, Harris will be joining 16 other ballers and team staff as they head to Haute-Savoie, France, on May 29.
Kicking off on March 1, the European competition will run until March 8 and will see the Scots stars face Poland, Germany and Greece in the group stage – as they look to progress to the final and score some glory.
“Let’s just say, I am quietly confident,” John joked.
He continued: “It will be challenging because there are 16 teams and we’re ranked at the very bottom, but we have Harris and another youngster Connor, and they’re our secret weapons,”
“But you can see the difference in the nations. Other countries are taking about 30 people, but we are a small team and are only taking 16 – which is including staff as well.
“But we canny moan about it, we will just have to get on with it. We’re only just breaking through as well.”
The team have set up a JustGiving page due to how much the trip will cost. They have received some help from the Scottish Football Association and certain individuals.
But, as John said, every little helps.
If you want to donate to the Just Giving page, you can click HERE
Equally, if you want to find out more information about AFAS, you can click HERE
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