Courtesy: Grimsby Telegraph


TOWN RECEIVES FUTSAL BOOST

12:30 - 27 April 2004

Grimsby has again been selected as a qualifying venue
for the FA National Futsal Finals.

With the popularity of FIFA's official five-a-side game rising in the area, the Nunsthorpe and Bradley Resource centre will stage matches involving local teams to determine who progresses to the national
finals at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield, on June 18-20. The winner of the finals will provide England's representative in the Futsal UEFA Cup.

Last year Caistor YT and All Stars from the Grimsby league won through to the finals held in Aldershot.

There are three futsal divisions covering the Grimsby area and the qualifying matches will feature teams from the Premier division plus the Division Two champions.

Organiser Kevin Bryant is convinced the game will continue its upsurge.

He said: "Once it catches on it will take off, that is what the FA are starting to see with referees courses and TV opportunities, although at the moment it is run through their current structure.

"England's futsal team played in a qualifier for the five-a-side Euro championship recently and they are now putting more money into it - there are big intentions behind it."

The local scene is beginning to take off, although Kevin insists it is far from the finished product.

"It has grown as fast as we would have expected it too," he said.

"The next stage of the game is to get more referees qualified and available - we also have plans to introduce a junior league."

Futsal is played on a pitch of roughly 40m x 20m and with a ball that is smaller and has a lower bounce than the standard one. There are no rebound boards and a match is played over two 20-minute halves.

Brazil, Italy and Spain currently lead the way and forrays into Europe has proved to be quite an eye-opener.

Kevin said: "Last year the finals winner, Tranmere Victoria, played a Romanian team and lost 14-2 over two legs.

"But the Romanian team are treated like stars over there and they brought over 200 fans.

"If we take the Italian and Spanish futsal leagues they play in front of 8,000 fans and it is on TV.

"In different countries it has developed in different ways."

It is becoming clear to many at professional clubs and at the Fa that the game's benefits transfer onto an 11-a-side pitch as the skills involved are replicated more often.

FA spokesman Dermot Collins said: "Futsal is a game that is very skilful. The players who excel are those who have a good technique, are quick, well balanced and have good football awareness."

Apart from Grimsby, venues for qualifying tournaments include Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Hull and Manchester.