From Benburb to Barcelona, Harris Tinney has lived a life.

At just five days old, he became Scotland’s youngest amputee. Within nine months he was kicking a ball.

Harris hasn’t stopped since.

Now 15, he divides his time between playing football with his pals and starring for Scotland’s amputee national team. With a bit of modelling thrown in for good measure.

We sent Scottish rapper Ransom FA to spend the day with Harris and his proud Dad, Johnny – who is also coach of the Scotland team.

Harris’ story

Harris does his talking on the pitch, so his inspirational tale is best left to Johnny.

Johnny and Harris Tinney at Hampden Park

Harris was born with amniotic bands. They’re elastic bands inside the womb that go round your joints.

His foot hadn’t developed, so he had no toes. After five days they tried to release the band to see if any good blood would come through but there was no improvement. They said we could either amputate or he could be in a wheelchair.

We thought amputation was the best thing for him to give Harris the best life possible. It was a major decision. At that point he was Scotland’s youngest amputee.

He was walking at nine months and playing football as soon as he got a leg. He came along with me and has loved every bit of it ever since.

Harris Tinney with James McFadden and Sir Alex Ferguson

When I see him playing football, he’s no different to anyone else. He’s technically really, really good. Even when he was only a year-and-a-half old, I’d throw him the ball and he’d half-volley it straight back to me. I used to play for Benburb in the Juniors, and I’d take Harris with me. The coach would be looking after him, running up and down the pitch, while I was playing.

So many of our best memories together have involved football. I don’t want to tell him that, but he’s my best pal.

Sometimes I wouldn’t see him playing for four or five weeks because I was taking other teams. When I’d see him again, I’d realise how good he was, even with a prosthetic. People didn’t know he had it.

I think, maybe two years in, a wee kid came walking up to me at one point, put his hand up and said ‘Johnny, he just said Harris has a fake leg…’, and I said, ‘he does!’. He’d trained with him for a year and half and didn’t notice.

He’s got the mentality that nothing will stop him. If he wants to play football, he’ll play football.

We prepared him for the day someone would tell him he couldn’t play mainstream. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll start a fives league so he can play. He lives for football. He loves it.

Harris Tinney changing at Hampden Park

He played for Palace Park, initially, from four years old until he was 12. Then they came under the Benburb banner.

He’s not played for the last year through injury. He rarely missed a game other than a couple of major operations on his amputation.

The bone was coming through the skin and that held him back a bit. He’s had amputee football to fill the gap. He’s been on his crutches and training with the Scotland boys.

They invited him along to training initially, he played a couple of games with the team and the coach told me he wanted to take him to a competition, even though he was only 14. I wasn’t coaching the team at this point, so they asked me to come on board.

We played a mini tournament against Ireland, Belgium and Israel and he scored against Belgium. 14, playing for Scotland and scoring for his country. The youngest to have done it. I was so proud.

Harris Tinney in action for Scotland

When you start out as a parent you want them to enjoy playing and you realise it doesn’t matter what form that takes. The pride was unbelievable.

He’s technically unbelievable. He can do everything with and without a leg. He’s hard-working and determined as well. He doesn’t let anything get him down. He’s an eats-sleeps football type.

Get involved

Johnny and the volunteers behind the national team are always looking for more people to get involved – on and off the pitch.

We train once every two weeks in Tradeston, Glasgow, on a Saturday morning. The guys travel from all over Scotland to come to training, to be part of this team. It becomes their life. They’re part of something and feel important.

That’s what we’ve tried to create. That community, it helps their mental health, and we want more people to be part of it. I’m seven months in and the enjoyment I get is unbelievable. They leave training with a smile on their face and that means everything to me. Football’s about smiling, enjoying it and being part of something.

Like anyone else, we have costs, so we’re looking for sponsors and – more importantly – players. The more players we have at training, the more we can do in the session. I hope someone reads this and gets in touch.

Get in touch or learn more about amputee football in Scotland.

Power of Football

Football has the power to do so much good by enriching and improving life in Scotland every day. It brings communities closer together, it builds relationships that will last forever and it is a lifeline for so many who need it.

We want to help tell unique stories from every corner of the Scottish game. Is someone in your community making a difference through football? A character who's the heart and soul of your club? An individual in need of a pick-me-up? Let us know via story@scottishfa.co.uk.

Click here to learn more about the power of football in Scotland.