National CP Cup

Sam Harris has joined the league in November 2025 as the League Journalist. Sam is 29 years old, with left side Hemiplegia. He has studied Sports Journalism at Press Association and covered Goalball for the International Blind Sports Federation (BSA) at the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics. He will be providing match reports for the league games.

In January 2026 our league teams went head-to-head in Reading.

Sam Harris our League Journalist provides the following report:

READING TOURNAMENT

Norwich 4-1 SWCP

Norwich overtook Chelsea at the top of the table and remain unbeaten after a convincing win against SWCP.

Second-half goals from Liam Irons, Robby Newman, Karl Townshend and Reece McMillan cancelled out Lewis Tribe’s opener.

SWCP missed the opportunity to close the gap to their East Anglian counterparts and drop to fourth place while Norwich are now one point clear at the summit after a sixth win in eight games.

A free-kick from Tribe had given SWCP the lead after the Norwich keeper handled outside the area but Irons grabbed a deserved equaliser when SWCP failed to clear a cross and they took the lead when Newman fired in.

The points were sealed when Townshend’s shot from outside the area was too powerful for Kai Okada-Thomas to handle before a one-two between Will Schonfelder-Hornby and McMillan resulted in the latter’s diving header making it four.

Burton Albion 7-1 Brighton & HA

Burton moved up to third after a resounding victory against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Andy Riddle and Shaun Burrows both scored twice while Mark Kells and Noah Scott also netted with George Doswell scoring an unfortunate own goal after Saul Everson had given Brighton the lead.

It was welcome return to winning ways for Burton having picking up just one point from their previous tournament while Brighton suffered a third straight defeat and remain third-bottom.

The Seagulls had taken the lead as Everson slotted home but Scott equalised before goals in quick succession from Burrows and Riddle saw the Brewers lead at the break.

A great run by Riddle then forced Doswell to put through his own net and a sweeping team move was finished by Burrows for the fifth.

There was still time for a counter-attack which led to Kells getting on the scoresheet and Riddle grabbed his second to complete a comprehensive win.

Norwich 1-1 Burton Albion (friendly)

Burton and Norwich played out a hard-fought draw in a friendly.

Having both claimed convincing wins in the day’s league games, Burton struck first through Alex Turnbull before Bailey Flemming earned the Canaries a share of the spoils.

The draw was another encouraging result for the Brewers after having also held their East Anglian counterparts in the opening tournament of a season while it was only the third game Norwich have failed to win after also drawing against title rivals Chelsea.

Burton had started brightly, Turnbull hitting the post before he tapped in from close-range to give them the lead but they were indebted to goalkeeper Freddie Lamb for preserving the lead with a couple of fine saves.

Just as it looked like they would record an impressive victory when Liam Irons’ thunderous effort hit the underside of the bar and bounced clear, a surging run down the left-hand side by Reece McMillan gave Flemming the simplest of tasks at the far post to secure a deserved draw.

SWCP 3-4 Brighton & HA (friendly)

Brighton claimed a surprise friendly victory from two goals down against SWCP with Saul Everson scoring a late winner.

Jacob Bougas grabbed a brace either side of James Pierce’s strike before Everson’s heroics. SWCP had stormed into a commanding lead with fine finishes from Kai Okada-Thomas and Tom Hart and had regained the lead through Alex Woodgates before their late collapse.

Avenging September’s 8-0 thrashing in their previous meeting, and having picked up a solitary win this campaign, this result could give the Seagulls real belief for their remaining fixtures.

In contrast it capped a disappointing day for SWCP after their league loss to Norwich and they will be looking for a first win in four games in next month’s tournament.

They took the lead when Okada-Thomas fired home to cap an impressive team goal and after continued pressure, they doubled their lead through Hart’s well-taken finish.

Brighton halved the deficit with a fine curling effort from Pierce and were level just before the break when a stunning counter-attack saw Bougas slot in.

They fell behind though soon after the interval as a neat passing move ended with a confident Woodgates finish but Bougas found the bottom corner from long-range for his second and Everson completed a remarkable comeback.

On Saturday 11^th April 2026 our teams went head-to-head at Loughborough

Sam Harris our League Journalist provides the following report:

LOUGHBOROUGH TOURNAMENT

Chelsea 2-0 York

Chelsea deservedly beat York to win the Super League and book their place in the FA Disability Cup final at St George’s Park In June.

Goals from Sebastian Hayes and Fin Stapells ensured the Blues will play in a second successive final at the prestigious venue where they will look to avenge last year’s defeat to North West CP.

After a strong opening, having forced York goalkeeper Sam Carr into action early on, they took the lead through a stunning Sebastian Hayes strike and continued to pepper the York goal with only Carr and the woodwork denying them a second.

Just as it looked as their profligacy could cost them with York’s Callum Lindsay and Ruby Rodwell coming close, Stapells, who had earlier missed a gilt-edged chance, sealed the deal late on. 

SWCP 4-4 West Brom (SWCP win 3-1 on pens)

In a remarkable fifth-placed play-off encounter, SWCP beat West Brom on penalties after a thrilling draw.

Lewis Tribe slotted home the winning spot-kick, completing a flawless record after Myles Russell and Bailey Gray had also converted.

It was tough to take for West Brom who had led 4-2 in normal time before late goals from Russell and Tribe forced penalties.

They had opened the scoring through Corey Komorowski but the tireless Alex Woodgates levelled for SWCP before the Baggies retook the lead when Callum Barnes’s ambitious long-range effort went through the legs of South West goalkeeper Ashley Parr.

Yet again though South West restored parity as Russell fired home from close-range but a brilliant swerving effort from Liam Chase crashed in off the post as West Brom went in front for the third time.

The Baggies goalkeeper Dylan Langford then produced a scarcely believable triple save before Komorowski seemingly sealed the win but South West had other ideas.

Chelsea F 2-4 York City

York claimed a vital win against table-topping Chelsea to book a rematch in the play-off final with four goals from Callum Lindsay avenging a 3-0 defeat to the Blues in October.

These crucial three points saw York end the regular season with four successive wins while Chelsea suffered their second defeat in three games although they were already assured of a place in the final.

In a game they knew they couldn’t afford to lose, York got off to the worst possible start when Charlie Boyce’s stunning free-kick gave Chelsea the lead.

However, they soon turned it around when Lindsay pounced after Blues keeper Jamie Quinnell spilt a cross and then slotted home following a mix-up between Quinnell and centre-back George Wiles.

They were pegged back though in unfortunate circumstances when Daniel McGarrigan headed into his own net but Lindsay sealed a huge victory with another couple of instinctive finishes after the break.

SWCP 1-2 Norwich

Norwich claimed a final day win over SWCP but missed out on the play-off final due to York’s win against Chelsea.

Centre-back Bailey Fleming was the unlikely match-winner, after Lewis Tribe had cancelled out Cailen Beckford’s opener for the Canaries.

The Canaries did all they could but they had to settle for a third-placed finish for the second successive season while SWCP finished their debut Super League season in a creditable fifth place.

In this must-win encounter, Norwich dominated the opening stages and deservedly lead when Beckford fired home on the turn from the edge of box but in a rare attack SWCP levelled through captain Tribe’s fierce strike.

Minutes into the second-half Will Keeble’s side retook the lead when Fleming fired in from long-range and although they held on, results elsewhere meant they missed out on the showpiece again.

West Brom 6-0 Burton Albion

WBA ended a run of five straight defeats as they beat Burton to finish sixth with Callum Barnes and Archie Billingham both scoring twice.

Corey Komorowski and Kieran Shone also netted for the dominant Baggies as they avenged September’s defeat to the Brewers.

The Baggies had already had a solid season which produced a run of five wins in six games to finish 2025, as Burton achieved their highest ever Super League finish of fourth.

It was a comprehensive performance from West Brom although they only had a goal each from Billingham and Barnes to show for it at half-time.

A second for Barnes, a deserved goal from Komorowski and a neat finish from Kieran Shone reflected their superiority before Billingham finished the scoring.