Televised futsal games to be hosted in Walsall
The high-speed sport of futsal is coming to the Black Country after The University of Wolverhampton was chosen to host games to be broadcast on BT Sport.
The FA National Futsal Series (NFS) fixtures will be played at Walsall Campus Sports Centre from this weekend until the finals in May next year.
More than 110 hours of futsal will be broadcast with both men's and women's competitions being played at the Gorway Road campus.
Futsal is a five-a-side fast-paced form of football which places emphasis on technical skill in restricted spaces and both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi credit the sport with helping their ability.
Dr Richard Medcalf, Wolverhampton University's director of the Institute of Human Sciences in the Faculty of Education Health and Wellbeing, said: “This is fantastic news for WLV Sport as we’re confirmed as the home venue for the FA National Futsal Series 2021.
“We are extremely proud of our sports facilities at our Walsall Campus, with an internationally renowned venue for elite international sport and base for the British Judo Association’s Centre of Excellence, we are always looking at new opportunities to showcase what we have to offer.
“Over the past few years, we have strategically focused our attention to developing futsal and the new talent and opportunities it will bring to the university."
He added: “This national event supports our on-going ambition to create a venue and environment for the future of WLV Sport and home of futsal.”
Chris Parkin, NFS League Management Chair and Director of NFS Limited said: “The NFS management board are delighted to extend our partnership with the University of Wolverhampton who were fantastic hosts for the summer showdown series.
“We are really looking forward to hosting the live BT Sport fixtures for the 2021/22 season at the Sports Centre at the University’s Walsall Campus.”
Wolverhampton University embedded futsal into its curriculum and has student men’s and women’s teams competing within British University Colleges Sport (BUCS).
The first fixture will be the London Helvecia and Bloomsbury futsal match on Saturday, October 9 and Sunday, October 10.
