Footballers from across the Borough are preparing for the second edition of the National Futsal Youth Cup, beginning with the county qualifiers this weekend.
Bedford’s futsal players will be looking to qualify for the Regional finals after the county group stages kick off this Sunday 5th March at Robert Bloomfield Academy, followed by the finals on the 19th.
The winners will head to the regional finals being held in Walsall with Bedfordshire FA placed in the Midlands and South West region taking place on 17th and 18th June.
The only way is Essex
The inaugural season of the National Futsal Youth Cup attracted hundreds of clubs from across the UK but futsal clubs in Bedford will need to jump multiple hurdles to reach the coveted National Finals.
Those finals take place in Essex this July but with thousands of youngsters taking part, the challenge is on to make it as far as possible.
The shorter, faster format of the 5-a-side game has taken off in recent years and the latest incarnation of the Youth Cup will be contested by 12 sides from Bedfordshire, including Bedford Town and Bedford Futsal Club.
The competition is split in to Under 10’s, Under 12’s, Under 14’s and Under 16’s for boys and girls in a bumper tournament that include over 900 teams from across the country.
The Futsal Youth Cup made its long-awaited debut in 2021/22, with the national finals taking place in June and Bedford’s sides will be hoping to reach the latter stages this year with success first at Robert Bloomfield Academy, and then in Walsall.
Bedford Futsal Club ready to go
Carl Tappin from Bedford Futsal Club is excited to see how the youth of the club get on at the annual tournament.
“We are sending a team for the Under-14 competition on 5th March and a team for the Under-12 competition on the 12th.
“This is our first official youth entry after a strong year of youth development through our partner school The Chalk Hills Academy.
“We are expecting to be competitive in the competition and they’ve experienced some success in their school competitions, with the Under-14s and Under-15s finishing third in the county.
“We cannot wait to get going in the competition and hope the boys have a great time playing Futsal!”
The competition kicks off this Sunday 5th March with the Under-14 group stage, followed by the Under-12 group stage on 12th March and the county finals on 19th March.
Entry to Robert Bloomfield Academy is free for people wishing to show up and cheer on the futsal youth of Bedford.
