It will be a proud weekend for Letchworth Garden City s own Phillip Gardner. Gardner is team manager of the Great Britain Deaf football side, the reigning world champions. And he will be leading out his charges in a European Championship qualifier (first

It will be a proud weekend for Letchworth Garden City's own Phillip Gardner.

Gardner is team manager of the Great Britain Deaf football side, the reigning world champions.

And he will be leading out his charges in a European Championship qualifier (first leg) against Sweden Deaf this Saturday at the County Ground in Letchworth GC (3pm ko).

Gardner won the disability award at this year's Comet Sports Awards.

He said: "It has been 15 years since Great Britain last competed in the European Deaf Championships.

"Given our world number one status, we are eager to prove ourselves once more in the qualifiers against Sweden.

"It is the first European competitive game under my six-year management stint and I am optimistic that we will pull off a good result."

Saturday's match will have the same laws as a 'hearing' match.

The only difference is the equipment the referee will be using.

Instead of using a whistle, the referee will be using a flag, the same flag as an assistant referee uses.

Everything else will be the same, except that the players will obviously communicate via sign language between themselves and the management.