Farsley Celtic Deaf have secured the EDF Northern League title for the second-straight season, securing this year’s triumph with a game to spare.
The Celts have won all five of their league fixtures this campaign, and secured the title with a 6-2 victory over Bradford United.
Their league victory means they will once again have the opportunity to win the EDF National Championship at St. George’s Park, with the Celts just one win away from the final.
Central to Farsley’s victory over Bradford United was Cavell Donaldson, who was awarded Player of the Match after opening the scoring.
Following his side’s win against Bradford, Donaldson said: “It’s a fantastic win for the team, I thought getting the early goal increased our confidence straight away. The coaching staff got the tactics correct and the team delivered the performance.
“It’s an amazing feeling to win the league again. We’re creating history as a team and haven’t finished yet, there’s still more to come.
“We knew as a team the challenge stayed the same, but our work rate and togetherness had to be improved because the teams in our league would also have that desire to win the title after missing out last year.
“We found that this year, and it has shown in our results and performances on the pitch.”
The Celts’ success on the pitch last year was broadcast live by BT Sport, and they will once again have the opportunity to compete in front of the live television cameras should they reach the final.
Donaldson continued: “To know that BT Sport are broadcasting the final again has given the team more motivation to keep going, because as a team we want to win the cup again, and it’s even more special for that to be broadcast.
“It’s 100% a positive to have them involved with deaf football, and we feel incredibly lucky to be part of it.”
Aside from his success with the Farsley, Donaldson has also been one of seven Farsley players who has been involved with the England Deaf set-up this year.
He continued: “It has been a fantastic start to the year, we had a week’s training camp in Tenerife which was something new, and a really good experience.
“I learned so much more about myself, the team and staff. The training was at a very high intensity, which, and the trip definitely brought the whole team closer than before.”
Looking ahead to the year ahead, the forward concluded: “We’ve won the EDF Northern League which was fantastic, but now we’re going to carry on working hard toward the Deaf Champions League later this year.
“We will be competing against the best teams in the world so we have to be ready!”