Courtesy: Grimsby Telegraph


Grimsby duo battle it out for a shot at Futsal glory

12 June 2009

BBS Couriers boss Rob Phillips is backing his side to make it through the dreaded Group of Death at the FA Futsal Cup qualifiers in Sheffield tomorrow.

The Grimsby League champions have been drawn alongside northern university heavyweights Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester at the £30-million Sheffield Institute of Sport venue.

National league side Grimsby FC have also qualified for the tournament and face unknown quantities Dengo United and Mighty Bush.

But Phillips, who co-manages BBS Couriers' league-winning 11-a-side outfit with Mariners striker Danny North, is confident his side can progress.

"I think we're in with a very good chance" said Phillips.

"This is the first year we've had to qualify, with it being so popular, but we're a more experienced team now.

"We've come third in our group the last two years, but we're a better side now and we've been playing longer.

"There's no doubting it's a tough group but we have a lot of really good players.

"I've every confidence that the boys can get through."

Following the group stages a final will be held to decide which side makes it through to the FA Futsal Cup finals, meaning it could be an all-Grimsby shootout in Sheffield.

Since Uruguayan Juan Carlos Ceriani created an indoor game played with a smaller ball for the YMCA in 1930, the sport has gone from strength to strength.

Particularly popular with the South Americans, the first World Championship was played in Sao Paulo in 1982 before it was incorporated by FIFA in 1989 with the inaugural quadrennial World Cup.

And Kevin Bryant, manager of FA Futsal League side GrimsbyFC, insists even the possibility of an all-Grimsby clash shows how popular the game has become in this region.

"It's fantastic that we've got two teams in the qualifiers, both of whom have a good chance of going to the final" he said.

"It's just grown and grown over the last few years and it's very good for the area.

"It looks like we've got the easier group but we don't know much about the teams.

"It's important we don't take them lightly though because for all we know they could be filled with internationals."








Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com