Name: London FA
Price range: $

Play Football Your Way this Half Term with Football Mash Up

Local teenage boys and girls are being encouraged to play their way and to get back into football when the Football Mash Up Roadshow rolls into London

The roadshow, which is taking place at Paddington Recreation Ground on Monday the 17th of February, is aimed at tackling the drop out from football of teenagers in the 14-17 age group.

With football freestylers, time challenges, penalty shootouts, fitness workshops and a fast paced round robin tournament all set to the backdrop of music from Spotify a large turnout is expected.

The initiative follows an extensive study by HPI, commissioned by The FA and England Team Sponsor and FA Youth Partner Vauxhall Motors, to determine the factors affecting drop out within this age group.

The Football Mash Up sessions aim to tackle these issues head on by offering a recreational form of football in after-school clubs, played in a range of facilities delivered by FA qualified coaches or qualified PE teachers. Donna McIvor, The FA National Education Manager, commented; “The Football Mash Up Roadshow is the first stage of our major plans to get more teenagers playing football on a regular basis.

“We have a target of 2000 Football Mash Up clubs by the end of 2017 which would mean a total of 40,000 players back in the game and enjoying football in their own environment.”

Local FA Vauxhall Coordinator Simon Millington, who is running the FMU club at Paddington Recreation Ground, said; “The response to Football Mash Up has been fantastic and we are starting to see more 14-17 year olds get back to enjoying playing football with their friends on a regular basis.

“We are encouraging anyone, no matter what level, to come down and get involved in Football Mash Up and bring the fun back into their football.”

14-17 year-olds will be able to sign up for weekly sessions, which will cater for all abilities and fitness levels at seven venues across the capital, which are:

Coram's Field Youth Club, WC1N 1DN - 11-A-Side 3G - Wednesday evenings 5-7pm.
Ferndale Community Sports Centre, SW9 8PB - 4x 6-A-Side 3G - Tuesday and Thursday evenings 4:30-6:30pm, FREE - no blades or studs.
Ebury Bridges Estate Youth Club, SW1W 8RU - Multi-Use Games Area - Tuesday evenings 5-6pm.
St Mary's of The Angels, NW2 5PR - Astro Turf - Sunday afternoons 3-5pm, cost £1.
Paddington Recreation Ground, W9 1PD - 2x 11-A-Side Astro's - Wednesday evenings (boys) 6-7pm, cost £3 - Saturday afternoons (girls) 1-2pm, FREE.
Harrow Youth Club, W10 6TH - 8-A-Side Astro - Fridays 7-8pm, FREE.
Churchill Gardens, SW1V 3AA - Multi-Use Games Area - Tuesday evenings 6-7pm, FREE.