Helga has spotted a pigeon just outside the changing rooms at Poltonhall Sports Complex in Bonnyrigg and it suddenly becomes clear from her ears, tongue and tail that she would very much like to chase it. But not today. She is a good girl, she resists the exciting temptation, and stays true to her task. Helga, a three-year-old black labrador, is a guide dog, partnered with the England women’s blind football captain, Sam Gough, and the duo have important work to do.
Gough is preparing for the 2026 IBSA Women’s Blind Football European Championship, which gets under way in Istanbul on Saturday, full of confidence in her everyday life since partnering with Helga last year, a moment she says has been liberating.
