Futsal in Scotland

Futsal in Scotland has been played in Perth since 1997. There are now three divisions with 16 teams and over 200 players playing every week. Now in 2014 Dundee have become the second City to start a league and are currently playing a mini league (May to July) at the Mayfield Sports Centre, with a view to a full league starting in August 2014. Bathgate in West Lothian have become the latest area to show interest in starting a league and will play futsal at the Xcite Bathgate.

Background

In 2005 the Scottish Futsal League joined up with the Futsal Premier League to help promote Futsal across the UK. In 2008 the Scottish Futsal League parted ways with the Futsal Premier League. To date, Fair City Santos are Scotland's most successful team with 8 League titles from 12. Perth Saltires are Scotland's current League Champions (2013/2014). Bell's Sports Centre, Perth, is the home of Futsal in Scotland, with four futsal courts.

Futsal, or indoor football, is a growing sport in Scotland.[1][2] The Futsal Premier League (FPL) initiated a regional league in Edinburgh in November 2005. The Scottish National Futsal League, FPL Scotland, followed in 2006.[3] FPL Scotland is sponsored by Tennent's, who have given away over 50,000 futsal balls, and now also sponsor the National Football Team. Additional support came from the Scottish Football Association and kit manufacturer Joma. The FPL Scotland is divided into three Series, A, B and C, as opposed to two in England. Winners of the FPL Scotland Serie A progress to the UEFA Futsal Cup.

In 2006, eight teams played in the first FPL Scotland Serie A:

2006 league champions, Fair City Santos, Scotland's first UEFA Futsal Entrants played in the first preliminary round of the UEFA Futsal Cup, against Adana from Armenia, Futsal Mad Max from Finland, and Roubaix from France, although they failed to progress to the next stage.[4][5]

Current league

Season 2014/15

Scottish Futsal National Finals

May 2015

Fair City Santos (Perth) FC Polonia (Dundee) Five Cities (Aberdeen) Stirling University (Stirling) Wattcell Futsal Club (Edinburgh)

Aberdeen

Five Cities Lonely Hearts AC Maloon St Machars Select NESCOL

Dundee

Ferry Mechanics FC Polonia Dundee Futsal Club Dundee West FC STARS LTD

Edinburgh

Perth

Fair City Santos Perth Saltires Zenit St Johnstoun Red Star Perth Real Perth Futsal Bridgend PYF Saltires Fair City Pumas International FC Outer Milan Letham Steaua Perth

Stirling

Stirling Uni A Stirling Uni B Gannochy Seagulls Dunblane Star Futsal Select

Perth Region

Season 2013/14 have 16 teams:

Elite League

League 1

League 2


Dundee Region

Season 2014

References

  1. ↑ http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/sport/futsal-the-fuss-about-how-brazilian-game-is-helping-scots-1.158238
  2. ↑ "How futsal can help save Scottish football | Blog | Sport | STV". Sport. 2011-11-30. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  3. ↑ "The SFA and SAFA will partner with the FPL to launch a futsal initiative in Scotland that should really help put futsal back on the map in Scotland.". November 2005. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  4. ↑ "Scotland set for Futsal festival". UEFA. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
  5. ↑ "International Futsal Tournaments". Scottish Football Association. Retrieved 2008-07-09.

External links

Template:Futsal in Scotland