Newton Abbot based insurance company GMM are to sponsor the Devon Ability Counts Men's and Women's leagues.

The sponsorship will enable the league to run a total of 6 outdoor events, and 1 additional indoor winter futsal standalone fixture for 2013-14.

Simon Rice from GMM Insurance is both a keen footballer and advocate of disability sport. "As a person in his late fifties who is still playing a little five aside I realise the importance of a team game, the only injury I have sustained was a snapped cruciate ligament some 20 years ago, so I cannot even begin to envisage what some disabled players go through to get on to a pitch, however once on there I am sure they get the same amount of camaraderie. THE TEAM is an important place regardless of ability or disability, it binds humans together to perform, it helps individuals on a bad day, we all have them, your team mates carry you like you would them on their off days. At the end of the match you can shake the hands of the opposition and congratulate your team mates on their efforts and sit down and have a cuppa or a pint to talk about the goal that got away or the tackle that was so late it might be an early one for the next game !!

Most importantly you were and are, a part of THE TEAM !! GMM Insurance is really so happy to support this fabulous cause and look forward to coming along to my first game, perhaps I might the leave the boots at home for fear of being shown up !!"

The next fixture is on Sunday 17th November at Chudleigh Athletic FC.