How Cambridge City FC is putting women's amputee football on the map
The club is home to the UK's first amputee team made up only of women
Last updated 23rd Oct 2026
A Cambridge City footballer who's lost one of her legs says more work must be done to raise the profile of the women's amputee game.
Isabel Dorman has always been into sport before needing an amputation in February last year, which made her unsure where to turn.
"I played football as a young girl from the age of eight to under 16s, then when I lost my leg, I didn't know what to do," she said.
"I met Izzy and found amputee football through her."
Isabel, originally from Liverpool, met Cambridge City captain Izzy Papandronicou while playing in the England Amputee Football Association league (EAFA).
She's since been playing football for around a year and recently scored in both of City's friendlies against the Polish national team, who finished third in the Women's Amputee World Cup in 2024.
These matches are the first all-women's games of their kind in the UK.
"It's a big thing hosting an event of this size and it's gone incredibly well," Duncan Rumbelow, manager of Cambridge City FC's amputee sides, said.
"It's about the publicity and amputees realising that there are opportunities.
"If word gets out, maybe in a few years, other clubs will see this and think 'why don't we do this?' and maybe we can get a league in this country."
The game consists of two 25-minute halves, with no offside rule and any ball with crutches is classed as handball.
Some of City's players are not local to the area, with some travelling hours just for the chance to play.
"It's made me feel so strong with my disability and to be surrounded by a group of girls that have similar issues, we can all connect and we have become a family," Isabel said.
"For me, it was finding an inclusive family; I wasn't there to be competitive to start with, it was meeting like-minded girls and having a space to exist without the stigma of my disability."
Team formed after 'chance conversation'
Cambridge City are thought to be the UK's first football club that has an amputee team only made up of women.
Earlier this year, City's mixed amputee team made up of men and women beat Chelsea to lift the FA Amputee Cup.
The idea to set up a women's side came about in February and since then, word has spread.
"It was a chance conversation with the Cambridgeshire FA; we took on a team that needed to play and all they wanted was a shirt and a badge to play for," Phil Brasher, director of disability football at Cambridge City FC, said.
"They played in the league, won the FA Cup, we invested in women's and girls' football for the amputees; it's been a 10-month journey but we've made massive strides in getting to where we are now.
"It fits in with what Cambridge City want to do, (which is) to give everybody the chance to play football and enjoy themselves."
'Everything has to start somewhere'
City's team includes players with a mix of experience and ages, some travelling from across the country to play.
But with no women's league for the team to play in, the club is considering joining the Polish league next year.
Phil said to play Poland over two days this month, it's cost the club around "£5 to £6,000" through the likes of fundraising and sponsorship, including accommodation fees.
"Everything has to start somewhere, so hopefully we've started it and other clubs will take it up," he said.
"I think we need to work closely with the EAFA to try and make this work, which we are well-prepared to help if we can because we want to see these young ladies playing football; that's the bottom line."
As for Isabel, she believes one day, there will be a league for women's amputee teams.
But to reach that point, she feels more emphasis on helping younger children into the game is a step forward.
"Not enough amputee women know this (women's amputee football) exists, so we're trying to push that awareness and it's growing the grassroots side of the game," she added.
"People who want to compete have that space to do so; it's that inclusivity for anyone with limb differences to come and join us."