Courtesy: www.manchesterfutsal.com

Pro football clubs could have futsal teams

“I don’t see any reason why professional clubs, the whole lot of them including the Premier League, can’t have a team competing in leagues,” said Preston North End striker Kevin Davies after experiencing his first taste of futsal on Sunday.

The Bolton Wanderers legend gave futsal a ringing endorsement as Manchester rounded off their FA National Futsal League campaign with a 7-2 win over University of York at the National Cycling Centre.

“Because futsal isn’t well known, you’ve got to try and change the perception,” continued Davies. “A few people just see it as five-a-side football, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

“But there’s no doubt that it can help a young player, I think the FA needs to push it a bit more. So I think it’d be an idea for the Premier League and Football League to have futsal. It’s not going to cost a lot to run a futsal league within the professional sport and then they can obviously filter it down. I think that’d be a great idea.

“I’m still involved with the Bolton and Bury District League and it’s something we’re looking to try and develop, so it’s nice to be invited down and have a look at it. I’ve been in the game a long time, but never really seen much of futsal so it was good to come down and see it firsthand.”

With more people opting to take up the sport, there is higher demand for more and better facilities across the nation and Davies, who was capped once for England in a Euro 2012 qualifying game against Montenegro, also believes futsal should be introduced in the school curriculum.

“My son is in the academy at Bolton and it’s something they’ve introduced this season, but it’s an optional session on a Monday night,” said the Preston striker. “I think more clubs are looking at it in terms of the technical side of things, but I think it’s something they can look at in schools; maybe as part of PE.

“It could be introduced at schools with good facilities and sports halls; we should be looking at trying to maximise that by maybe bringing in the goals and develop it that way. But I think raising awareness is the key, and we’ll be bringing it in next season; particularly over the winter months.

“Again, it’s about finding venues with facilities that can do it. Have we got enough in this area? Probably not. It’s a great venue here [the National Cycling Centre], and we could certainly do with some more in the area.”

There are so many aspects of futsal that can improve a player and the transition from the court to a football pitch is seamless. You only have to look as far as La Liga to see the benefits that futsal can have on a player in the shape of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar.

Or perhaps look closer to home in the Premier League, where Spanish maestros David Silva and Cesc Fabregas who manipulate the ball to devastating effect with close control and movement.

“I just think it’s a useful tool because of the technical side, the movement, passing and things like that,” said Davies. “I don’t think there’s much awareness of it in this country; I know the FA is trying to push it a bit more, but it’s something we, as a league are trying to implement at a young age and get that technical side of it with the ball control and passing with this ball.

“I think it’s going to help the kids get on the ball more often, so it’s something that I’m keen to push for our league and, having watched the game, I think it can be a good part of a young player’s development to football.”

Written by @ChrisWildgoose







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