CHRISTMAS CRACKERS JUNIOR FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTS RETURN FOR 2015
For years, our Christmas Crackers tournaments have been legendary at our core @Futsal arenas. They invite local junior football clubs from across the age groups to enter teams, with free Christmas goody bags for every player as well as - most importantly - festive Futsal fun.
This year sees the Christmas Crackers tournaments expand, with an event specifically targeting schools and academies at the start of December, and a separate events for football clubs closer to Christmas day. Schools, academies and clubs are all welcome to enter more than one team, and the tournament is available for both boys and girls teams.
NATIONWIDE FUTSAL EDUCATION OPEN DAYS IN NOVEMBER
Will you be aged 16-18 in September next year? Are you interested in having a career in sport? How about competing in an officially sanctioned national Futsal games programme? @Futsal Group have partnered with a range of Colleges, Academies and Football Clubs nationwide to deliver our pioneering Futsal BTEC study and games programmes.
If you’re trying to decide what to do after you’ve left school, or if you’ve found yourself sitting in the wrong post-16 classroom and fancy a change in direction, then our Futsal Academy programmes are for you! Click on the relevant event for further information, including the address of the location.
Halesowen Town FC - Thursday 5th November, 1900-2100
Birmingham International @Futsal Arena - Thursday 19th November, 1700-1900
Leeds International @Futsal Arena - Thursday 19th November, 1700-1900
Reading FC (Swindon @Futsal Arena) - Thursday 19th November, 1700-1900
Isle of Wight College - Saturday 21st November, 1000-1400
LEEDS ARENA STARS IN ITV’S ‘BLACK WORK’ THRILLER
Anybody who’s visited Leeds International @Futsal Arena had a pleasant surprise during the season finale of ITV‘s ‘Black Work‘ on Sunday night, when the arena was featured in a scene right at the start of the episode.
You can view an edited clip, featuring the Leeds arena’s Nou Camp pitch, on Futsal TV below. The three-part thriller, starring Sheridan Smith, attracted around 5.5 million viewers for the final episode. Read about the Leeds arena’s new pitch configurations here; including a 33% increase in size of standard dimension pitches.
THE OFFICIAL COLLEGE & ACADEMY FUTSAL PROGRAMME GOES NATIONAL
@Futsal Group, in collaboration with AoC Sport and the ECFA, is delighted to announce the official launch of the National Colleges & Academies (NCA) Futsal Programme from September 2015. This follows a successful pilot season based in the south west of England, and the programme is now due to expand to include Colleges and Academies across the UK.
Lauren O’Sullivan, the National Football Development Manager from AoC Sport/ECFA, commented: “Over the course of the pilot season it’s been clear to see that the Futsal programme will be popular with teams up and down the country, and we’re really excited to see the NCA Futsal programme go national. AoC Sport is delighted to be working with the UK market-leading operator in @Futsal Group, and we look forward to seeing the game of Futsal continue to develop.”
BRAND NEW LEEDS LAYOUT SEES 38% INCREASE IN PITCH SIZE
Some of the things that are key to @Futsal Group are continued growth, development and improvement in absolutely everything we do. And as we work through our third year of operation at the Leeds arena, we’ve taken drastic measures to improve the overall playing experience and also customer satisfaction.
That’s why, as of easter 2015, our standard size pitches are now 38% bigger than before. What’s more, the price will remain exactly the same. The new measurements are 26.5 metres x 19.5 metres, meaning that they’re marginally smaller than the previous dimensions for Championship pitches. The pitches are now also significantly larger than The FA’s recommended dimensions, and we believe that they now represent superb value for money.
GIRLS COLLEGE FUTSAL CONTINUES TO FLOURISH IN LEEDS
An expanding programme of fixtures at our Leeds arena is providing the opportunity for girls aged 16-18 to regularly play Futsal. Some are lifelong participants in the traditional 11-a-side game, whereas some had never played any form of football before joining their Futsal team…
Gabi Marriot of Dearne Valley College commented: “Before this, we wouldn’t have been doing anything [sport-related] in college. It’s really given us an opportunity to come here and do something that we love,” before adding, “with teams like Doncaster Belles and Manchester City creating young girls academies, plus women’s football featuring heavily in the media, [football] feels a lot more accessible for women now.” Her teammate Eleanor Sharpe added, “personally I’ve been brought up playing football, but I know that some of our [team-mates] started playing as a way of keeping fit.”