A look at The FA National Futsal League Midlands season so far.
The FA National Futsal League - Midlands
Click here for fixtures, results and tables
On the 10 January, the 2010 season of The FA National Futsal League Midlands kicked off and here is the story of the campaign so far.
The seven clubs involved are Loughborough University FC, Team United Birmingham FC, Team Bath FC, FC Hartpury and Birmingham Tigers FC, along with Hereford FC and Chippenham FC who are competing for the first time in the League.
The League has got off to a flying start, with the present table showing just four points separating the top four clubs, with Birmingham Tigers currently on ten points which will please club secretary and England player Peter Vallance, who is also the League's leading goal scorer with 21 goals*.
Team United Birmingham FC supremo Ikhlaq Hussain will also be pleased with his team’s efforts at being second in the table with nine points. Team United also include an ex-Premiership footballer in Richard Sneekes, who is the League's second highest goal scorer with 14 goals*. The team’s present form is certainly a reward for the work which Ikhlaq puts into the game of Futsal in and around the Birmingham area.
In third place are one of the new clubs to the League, Chippenham FC, which must please the hard working and enthusiastic club Chairman and Secretary Chris Ballinger and the team's manager Luke Ballinger, who is also the present England Futsal captain. The players with the golden boots at the moment for Chippenham FC are Jamie Lyons with eight goals and Lucas Totti with seven goals.
Team Bath are sitting forth in the League at the moment having got off to a steady start but only playing three games. The club’s secretary and player Sion Kitson will be looking for the club to move up the table and hopefully reach the one of the top two spots, being one of the more experienced clubs in the league.
Loughborough University FC have played just two games to date and are sixth in the League with three points. With Head Coach Idafi Perez's experience, they also would be looking to climb the table and the team also have the experienced ex-England player and now one of the England coaches Michael Skubala to call on.
The other new club this season is Hereford and they will be hoping to soon turn the corner and manager Paul Carpenter will be confident they will soon start picking up points. The players on goal scoring form for Hereford FC are Frantisek Beke with eight goals and Patrick Maursky who has scored seven goals.
All of the clubs in the Midland League will be looking forward to the rest of the season, with the League being very close and competitive and all will no doubt have eyes on the National League Play-Off Finals in July 2010.
*Correct as of 1 March 2010
