The FA Launches Five-a-side Festival In Build-up To Euro 2020
The FA has launched a new nationwide five-a-side football festival, THE FA FIVES, which is set to run ahead of UEFA EURO 2020 this summer.
Launching on the milestone of 100 days to go until the start of the tournament – where seven games will be held at Wembley Stadium, including both semi-finals and the final – the FA says the tournament will be the nation’s ‘largest and most inclusive five-a-side football event to date’.
The FA has enlisted Rio Ferdinand, England’s ambassador for UEFA EURO 2020, to get as many teams across the country registered for the event before the sign-up period closes on 23rd April. The national governing body says more than 5,000 teams and up to 50,000 participants are expected to register a team into one of the event’s 15 categories, which include U14, U16, adult, veteran, disability and walking football provisions for both male and female players.
Speaking about the initiative, Ferdinand said: “If having the chance to watch England on home soil this summer wasn’t exciting enough, people all over the country can now dust off their boots and get involved in a football festival of their own.
“It’s great to support such an inclusive initiative – one that’s completely free to enter and has provision for so many different people, regardless of their ability or background. With just 100 days to go until the tournament starts, there really is no better time to give football a go.”
Events will take place at 120 venues across the country and will kick off on 2nd-3rd May. Victorious teams will progress to one of five festival-style Regional Final events on the weekend of 30th and 31st May before the competitions reaches its climax with a National Finals weekend played against the backdrop of Wembley Stadium on the 12th and 13th June – the same weekend that UEFA EURO 2020 gets underway in Rome.
Chris Bryant, The FA’s Head of Tournament Delivery, said: “For Wembley Stadium to host seven games at UEFA EURO 2020 is a real privilege, but also an extremely exciting prospect for the whole country. We’re delighted to be able to deliver this inclusive event giving people of all abilities the chance to be part of it – whether that be playing for the first time at a Round One event or supporting friends and family at a Regional Final. We’re grateful to our partners and stakeholders for their support in delivering THE FA FIVES and look forward to watching the fun unfold this summer.”
The FA FIVES tournament will be funded by the Government, via Sport England’s EURO 2020 Small Grants Legacy Programme, which uses National Lottery Funding to make awards of between £300 and £10,000 to not-for-profit organisations and statutory bodies that support its ‘Towards and Active Nation Strategy 2016-2021’. The FA says that the programme will enable organisations including County Football Associations to unlock additional revenue to support EURO 2020 legacy projects.
