Blind football pioneers team up with b5

It is one of our huge privileges in running this business that we get to team up with incredible people who have come through adversity, achieved great things and who have a special message to share.

We are therefore beaming with pride to announce that two such people, David Clarke OBE and Samantha Gough, have agreed to team up with us as Senior Consultants in order to deliver sessions across football.

David and B5 Director Matt Himsworth at Wembley

David Clarke OBE

David has been a great friend of the firm since his appearance on our Football Journeys podcast. Born with glaucoma he has only ever known a world with four senses and, yet, he has achieved more than most in a career in banking, the charity sector (with the RNIB) and now heads up Paralympics GB as it's Chief Executive Officer.

On the pitch David has scored more goals for England than anyone, amassing 128 goals in 144 appearances (including for Paralympics GB).

In 2023 he was awarded an OBE for his services to Paralympic Sport.

We are looking forward to taking him to more clubs across the Premier League and beyond.

Samantha Gough

Unlike David, Sam is at the beginning of her football journey (and also appeared on Football Journeys!). She was born with CVI (Cerebral visual impairment) which severely impacted her sight and hearing and ultimately led to her going blind as a teenager. Sport became an outlet and, though a native of Scotland, she has gone on to represent England at blind football (as well as Scotland in rowing) becoming the first Scottish born person to pull on the Three Lions since the 19th Century!

Both David and Sam deliver hugely interactive sessions which briefly set out their incredible lives, and the impact (and laws of the game!) of blind football before learning more on the grass with a session on blind football which builds on communication, understanding challenges and adversity as well as being a lot of fun!

If you would like to work with David or Samantha then please email us on info@b5consultancy.com.