Atmosphere Through Audio

Olly Johnson, England

As England prepares for UEFA EURO 2024, we have teamed up with The FA to tell the stories of the nation's diverse fan base. From Lancashire to London, and Southampton to Sheffield, fans share their footballing story and what supporting England both home and away means to them.   

Olly Johnson is 18 years old, plays blind football, and supports England with the help of family and friends who provide audio commentary to him during the matches.

My name is Olly Johnson, I am 18 years old, and I live in Chorley, Lancashire. I am a full-time student at Blackburn College studying a Level 3 B-Tec in Sports Science. At 16 years old I was diagnosed with a rare genetic eye condition which has subsequently resulted in me becoming visually impaired and registered blind. 

After my initial diagnosis, I found it very difficult to come to terms with my condition. I found it very tough and challenging as I had to give up all the sports I enjoyed playing. School also became difficult as I could not read textbooks or see the board at the front of the classroom. 

My whole life was turned upside down in a few months and this took a massive toll on my mental health. After my vision worsened, I lost a lot of my independence and relied heavily on friends and family around me. I was unable to travel to college independently and also struggled to enjoy activities with my friends that I otherwise would have if fully sighted. These included things like having a kick-about with mates and going to watch football in stadiums.

Participating in blind football has changed my life. Since taking part in the sport, I have met lots of people with similar stories who have helped me come to terms with my visual impairment and understand that there are still many great things I can achieve in my life. This has greatly improved my mental health as I am again able to take part in the sport I love because football has been an essential part of my life since a very young age.

Visualising The Match

At live matches, audio description is essential for me as it allows me to visualise what is happening on the pitch in front of me and still enjoy the atmosphere of a live game. It is therefore important that the equipment provided is functioning correctly to allow me to enjoy the game fully. 

In addition to the audio description, my friends Jacob and Georgie or my Dad will also help describe what is happening in the stadium. They can describe in more detail certain skills or actions that players perform on the pitch and perhaps small details that the commentary has not picked up on. 

When I am training for blind football, the coach will often show me the drill by tracing it on the palm of my hand. I will ask my friends to show me situations on the pitch using the same method. 

Also, in blind football the coaches divide the pitch into segments to verbally help players know where they should be passing to. By asking my friends to adapt to this whilst watching an England game, it helps me understand better where the ball is and where it is being played throughout the game, again improving my visualisation of the match.

Following England 

I have travelled to Wembley on a few occasions to watch England and a highlight was my first game against Malta, which was also Gareth Southgate’s first game as Manager. If I am not at the match in person, I follow every game I can with my friends and family via TV or radio. 

My favourite tournament memory following England would be Euro 2020. This was the first major international tournament since the Covid lockdowns, meaning that it was one of the first opportunities we had to socialise and enjoy the games with large groups of friends and family. The 2-0 victory against Germany was also a plus!

During this tournament, England managed to progress to the final, beating rivals such as Germany whilst playing good football along the way. This created a wonderful atmosphere in the country with everybody excited about the next game and England’s chances. 

For the 2024 Euros, I attended the first England friendly at St James’ Park and will follow the tournament through radio and on TV. During the tournament, I will watch the games over BBQs at friends’ houses or at home with family.

Player Perseverance 

My favourite current England player is Eberechi Eze. This is because he started his career at my team, Queens Park Rangers, and it is great to see him now playing for England. He is an inspiration to me as he was released by several academies and teams as a young footballer, but he persevered and worked hard to get where he is today. This motivates me to carry on working hard and overcome some of the challenges I face due to my visual impairment. 

My favourite England player of all time is David Beckham. He was an inspirational leader for the team both on and off the pitch. Over the years I have watched his goal against Greece at Old Trafford many times and it always excites me due to the drama of the situation and how it enabled England to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.  

Thank You, Azeem

In the past year, I have started playing blind football which has helped me come to terms with my sight loss as I have met people with similar stories, like Azeem Amir, who understand what I am going through. 

I first met Azeem on a Zoom call with the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC). They felt he would be a good person for me to meet as he lived relatively locally and played blind football for England. We met for a coffee and his first message stuck with me. He said that there would be things in life I could not do, but there would be many things I could still achieve and to focus on the positives. 

Azeem has been a massive role model and inspiration since losing my sight. He introduced me to the sport of blind football. Although I was not very good to begin with, he encouraged me and continued to allow me to train with him. This allowed me to progress in the sport and has now resulted in my being selected for the RNC development team. 

In addition to football, Azeem has given me the opportunity to help out with his business of delivering disability workshops to schools and businesses. This has helped develop my confidence when speaking openly about the challenges I have faced through my visual impairment. It has allowed me to see the incredible opportunities available to me, despite having a disability. 

Azeem encouraged me to start using a long white cane when my vision deteriorated. He gave me some essential pointers when using it and gave up his own time to travel to Manchester with me to practise. This has allowed me to regain some of my independence.

I am incredibly grateful for everything Azeem has done for me as he has instilled a positive attitude in me and has opened up many incredible opportunities for me. 

Pushing Myself

Initially, I found it very challenging to rely on only my hearing whilst playing, however, I have trained hard and love being able to play football again. I enjoy playing competitive matches as I had missed being part of a team. I am lucky to have been selected for The FA’s Emerging Talent programme for blind football, where I have also had a great opportunity to train with England coaches. 

I have attended a few training camps with England and FA coaches and these are developing my skills as a blind footballer. The programme allows for one-to-one support during training where skills can be finely tuned and improved. These are proving very beneficial to me as I can see how much I have progressed in the sport in such a short time. 

I hope in the next year the programme will help me push on and progress to a higher level of blind football. 

Coming Together

Supporting England is important because I am a massive football fan and want to see my country succeed. I love the atmosphere throughout the country when England is in a major tournament. 

There is always excitement and a buzz around the team which I enjoy. The best part about supporting England is that all domestic team rivalries are forgotten and everyone in the country comes together to support the national team.

In recent tournaments, England has progressed to the latter stages creating a feel-good factor in the country. It is noticeable that under Gareth Southgate, the England players are solely focused on playing and enjoy representing their country which has been lacking in previous years. This level of teamwork, commitment, and togetherness inspires me in football and everyday life.