Blackpool FC Community Trust column: Five-a-side football set to kick off

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of not one, but two, new five-a-side leagues that are set to ignite your passion for the beautiful game.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just looking to have some fun with friends, these leagues are your gateway to unforgettable football moments and thrilling competition.

Each league will consist of eight teams, who will play each other twice throughout the season.

They take place on Mondays, starting with matches for people aged 35 and over (7pm-8pm).

Players aged 18-34 will then play from 8pm-9pm with a fee of £30 per team across both competitions.

Matches will be played over two halves of 20 minutes with prizes and trophies for the winners at the end of the season.

Sections will be added for league tables, top scorers and teams of the week, while weekly confirmation of team attendance should be sent 24 hours prior to kick-off.

Teams can sign up by emailing [email protected]

Thanks to Community Ticketing sponsor, Liontrust, the Blackpool Girls’ Emerging Talent Centre (ETC) were invited to the Seasiders’ opening fixture of the season last weekend.

They enjoyed witnessing a 2-0 home against Burton Albion at Bloomfield Road, where they were treated to an excellent performance from Neil Critchley’s players and two goals for Shayne Lavery.

We invited our U9-12 girls to be flag bearers before the match, as well as take part in the half-time activities on the pitch and watching the game.

The girls and their parents had a fantastic day out, with Amelia from our U12 group winning the ‘golden ball’ trophy in the half-time challenge: her effort finished less than one foot from the centre spot.

The U14 and U16s girls are now looking forward to being at the game against Port Vale next Tuesday.

The ETC programme is designed to be a central hub for local talented female players from Blackpool, Fylde and the surrounding areas, working in partnership with grassroots clubs to ensure the offer is beneficial to players.

The ETC will work with grassroots clubs, schools and local coaches to identify talented female players for this elite training experience.

In July, some of our players attended the FA/England three versus three tournament against all the other ETCs in the North West.

We played against a range of teams, including Manchester United and Manchester City, and had a very successful tournament.

Several teams made it through to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final at an event watched by the England Pathway Talent ID scouts.

They picked out one of our players as being the ‘most technical player in the tournament’ as the girls again did us proud and represented Blackpool FC fantastically.

Last month, we also asked our ETC players to wear their grassroots kits and invite their coaches down to observe some of the sessions being delivered as part of the programme.

For more information about Blackpool FC Community Trust, call 01253 348691, visit www.bfcct.co.uk or follow BFCCT on social media.