It was pretty good to win the People’s Cup last year. We just entered with no real expectation and thought we’d see how far we could get and we won, so it’s all good.
As for the background of Filthy Fellas, well, we’re all at Leicester de Montfort Uni together and we’re all from Leicester too.
We’re all on different courses, some are doing law, someone is doing accounting and finance and another is doing business so it’s when we play football that we come together and have fun.
We first began playing as a team when we were about 15, in one of the larger group sessions a couple of years ago, and we just started entering tournaments to see how we progressed.
We got through a few nationals, but the People’s Cup was the first one that we won so it’s always a special competition for us.
We’re hoping to do well again this year and we’re going to try and have a go at the men’s tournament as well and see if we can do the double.
I’d say our team spirit and the characters we have in the group are our main strengths.
It’s developed over time and we’ve got a bit of chemistry between us. It started off by having a game of football and then going out for a meal afterwards or if it’s one of the boy’s birthdays or something. We just like to have a laugh and a bit of fun.
We’ve got some skilful players and fancy our chances against anyone, and without giving any opponents an advantage, here’s the lowdown on a few of the ones to watch…
Zak – I’d probably say he’s the organiser, or captain. Well, he’s the one who is ringing everybody up in the morning to see if we’re awake! I was having breakfast when he called the other day, as it was my job to pick everyone up and he called to say I was running late!
Abdi – He’s very lively, always cracking a joke. He’s quite good on the pitch too. And what a great haircut.
Ibby – Now, he’s fairly quiet, but he’s funny. You don’t really hear him speak very much, but when he does, you’ll probably laugh. He’s the most collected one, he’ll keep his cool in a game if you need someone to steady it down.
Hugs – He’s solid and always comes through when you need him. He’s a superstar in his own right really. He’s like the enforcer, as he’s the most physical of the team. He’s a guy you can count on or to give us a push in the last ten or 15 minutes.
Me – Well, I don’t like to talk as much as the others, but I’m the goalkeeper. I do a bit of the organising too and I’m studying law.
The 2018 FA People's Cup kicks-off between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 February when the first round begins, at venues across the country.
