An Albion goalkeeper flung himself to his right to make a super save from a 30-yarder hit like a bullet. An every match occurrence perhaps in football.

But the keeper, representing Seagulls Specials, suffers learning difficulties and the striker, from Chelsea Specials, deals with life as an amputee.

Albion's Football In The Community Programme received a £70,000 windfall over three years this week, with Sportsmatch equalling the amount put up by Family Investment Management.

All disabled footballers among the 3,000 benefitting from the scheme have 70,000 more reasons to thank the club which is helping to keep the community spirit strong.

Steve Ford, who runs the programme with assistant Dave Jupp, said: "That save typified a part of what the scheme is all about. That and the sing-song all the players had in the coach back home after beating Chelsea 3-0!

"It is about providing a better quality of life for individuals. Football has the power to do that. It is more than just a game, it can affect people's lives."

Former Stoke City FC professional Ford added: "Our target is to double those taking part to 6,000 now we've got such a big sponsorship boost."

Teresa Sanders, the programme's disability development officer, underlined the scheme's importance.

She said: "The extra funding will help a programme that gives the Specials I deal with a sense of identity rather than the feeling they are not worth anything. £70,000 is a lot of money but you can't put a price on that.

"Albion have done them proud. We had 92 players at the Hull game and six players were given VIP treatment and presented with the match ball after the Barnet game."

The umbrella structure is wide-ranging. Beyond the disabled, who have a tournament involving 600 coming up, there are FITC's core activities.

Seventeen part-time coaches go into 46 schools in Brighton and Hove and Sussex, including nine action-zone schools. They have after-school coaching and master classes for boys and girls. The scheme stages weekend and holiday schools at Preston Park and Hove Park and get involved in a residency course at Ardingly.

First-team players have gone into schools to help get across anti-drugs, bullying and racism messages. The youth team aid numeracy with board and card games.

Albion youth manager Dean Wilkins said: "We've gone into Middle Street and St Bartholomew's in the past and Moulsecoomb this year and the feedback is that the kids loved it. As part of the football club we're in a privileged position and can help because the youngsters can identify with the sport."

There are projects too, backed by the Sussex Police, for after-school coaching in areas of "high youth crime".

Of course the women's and girls' football is an area linked to the programme.

Albion Women FC secretary Sue Weight said: "We have teams from under-11s through to under-16s, plus Reserves and the first team which is top of the Southern Division with games in hand. If we get promoted into the premier we'll be up against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Charlton. We have 75 players attending a Centre of Excellence at Falmer.

"We are one of the biggest women football club's in the country and that's grown because of the backing of the programme. Hopefully can one day we can get our own permanent home and turn professional."

The boys' Centres of Excellence are part of the set up too. Martin Perry, the club's chief executive, said: "We have our Centres of Excellence for 150 boys every week at Seaford and Worthing and they are involved in a system that produced the likes of Gareth Barry (Aston Villa and England), Michael Standing (Aston Villa) and Lance Cronin (Crystal Palace). We are raising levels of footballers in the community."

Perry, like Ford, sees the new backing as a way of helping the whole programme.

He said: "The work we do is immense and that is not well known. The fact 3,000 boys, girls and adults are involved is an astonishing figure and with the generous commitment of Family Investment Management over three years we can build."

Chairman Dick Knight added: "Our Football In The Community Programme is an essential part of the club."

The scheme has come a long way since the Family Assurance, and other firms like Southern Water, got involved.

Up until then money was tight and, with the club itself playing in Gillingham, Ford and his volunteers had to work hard to keep the community spirit bubbling.

Now Perry looks forward, dreaming of a new stadium at Falmer. He said: "Look at the things we've done given the circumstances, so just imagination how much we can with a new stadium."

The smile on the face of that goalkeeper might be wider than it was after his save should that turn to reality.