Every visit to St George's Park reminds Scott Rogers of a glaring omission. A large sign declares the site home to every England football team, yet Rogers always mutters that the claim is incomplete.

Rogers led the men's amputee side to Nations League glory in 2023. Although the FA supports six para squads, amputee football remains outside that umbrella.

One of the sport's strongest nations now fights to collect 50,000 pounds for the men's World Cup in Mexico this November. England earned 21.5 million pounds from a third-place World Cup finish plus 1.1 million pounds in preparation money, while the amputee group hunts for basic travel costs.

"The FA states it has a fixed budget for para teams and currently lacks resources to add amputee football," Rogers explains. "We are Nations League champions yet risk missing the World Cup. An England side at the sport's peak skipping a major event over money feels wrong."

The programme sat under FA control until 2006, when support ended and left lasting resentment.

The group formed a charity and created a strong pathway. The women's team reached the quarter-finals of their first World Cup in 2024. More than 70 juniors aged four to 17 now train, supported by volunteer doctors, analysts and coaches funded solely by donations.

Rogers, once a youth coach at Wigan and Blackburn, joined in 2000. He treated the players with the same standards he used for able-bodied under-18 sides because their talent impressed him.

Many assume amputee matches move slowly, yet Rogers describes a quick, physical contest where crutches often break. He became hooked immediately.

FA staff observed the team at the 2022 World Cup and offered funding, but the proposal cut training sessions and reduced support staff. The offer was rejected because it would lower standards and block other income sources.

After Owen Coyle Jr left the head-coach role in 2023, Rogers took charge and ended the previous rule that required each player to raise 1,500 pounds personally.

A slot on ITV's Good Morning Britain lifted Euro 2024 funding from 4,000 pounds to more than 50,000 pounds in hours. For this year's World Cup the total remains below halfway.

"These players hold jobs and receive no wages," Rogers notes. "Without proper resources the motivation to keep playing fades, especially when they give up family time."

Now a former head coach who stays deeply involved, Rogers believes even 50,000 pounds annually from the FA would transform the setup. Compared with overall FA spending the sum is tiny.

Players must cover their own flights for an upcoming match in Ireland. Rogers warns that without steady support the programme cannot survive on occasional television appeals and may soon decline.

He praises FA staff who run the para programme and wish to include amputee football, yet lack approval from senior leaders. Ongoing talks continue, but Rogers fears the sport will fade just as it stands on the edge of major progress.

An FA spokesperson said the organisation keeps working with the England Amputee Football Association to meet priorities and grow the game across the country.