Sunderland-based North East Parkies United win Cure Parkinson’s Cup

The Cure Parkinson’s Cup is a national walking football tournament at St George’s Park, in Staffordshire, designed specifically for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease.

Defying expectations, Sunderland-based North East Parkies United powered through the group stages unbeaten before overcoming some of the country’s biggest names to lift the trophy, leaving even the players “bursting with pride”.

Impressive wins over Arsenal and Brighton set up a final showdown with reigning champions Northern Lights, where the North East side secured a 1–0 victory.

North East Parkies United with the cup (Image: FOUNDATION OF LIGHT)

Speaking at a celebratory session at Sunderland‘s Beacon of Light, player Kevin Ramsey said: “It was a great feeling, great for the guys to get our hands on the huge, heavy trophy at the end of the day.

“There are 24 teams at St George’s, and every single player has Parkinson’s disease. It was a fantastic day, even without winning; it was very emotional. For us to win the trophy, it was just amazing.

“It’s our third tournament overall. We played at St George’s last year and then played at a tournament in Scotland where we got to the semi-finals.

“We’d shown some clear improvement, but our aim this time was to get out of the group. We didn’t, for one minute, imagine we’d win it, scoring 14 goals and only conceding two.”

The team came together from the Foundation of Light’s Neurological Walking Football sessions, which allow anyone with a neurological condition to take part and keep physically active through walking football.

For those with Parkinson’s disease, exercise is crucial to maintaining balance, mobility and continuing normal daily activities.

As the session grew and players became closer, they took the step into competitive football, creating North East Parkies United.

“I was bursting with pride,” Kevin said on the feeling of achieving something with a group of friends.

“I couldn’t ask for a better team. It’s not just the football, but the support in life too. We support each other and going through our daily issues that we have with Parkinson’s, it’s vital to have that support network.”

Teammate Adrian Wrigley echoed the sentiment, saying: “The team spirit was marvellous for the day.

“We learned the lessons from previous cups, and everyone joined in and did their part. I think just about everybody had a little tear in the eye because of the achievement that we felt.”

Teams from all across the country compete for the cup, and there is a strong supportive spirit amongst the Parkinson’s Walking Football community formed through shared experiences.

“It was a great day for everybody,” added Adrian.

“The banter between all the teams and the whole community was really good, everybody was there for the enjoyment as well as the competition.

“The development since the start of the programme has been immense and everybody gets a massive amount out of it. Just to control the Parkinson’s and the mental health, it’s brilliant.”