Entries for the 2016 FA People’s Cup closes today. Have you entered? We tell you more about the cup you should all be a part of!
Last year’s FA People’s Cup really captured the imagination – and expect no less this time around. It was Bedforshire-based AFC Kempston Girls who claimed the spoils as Under-14s champions in 2015, with Cambridge United (below) edging out Ole United in the Under-16s competition.
And a fiercely contested adult final saw Liverpool Feds (pictured below) defeat London rivals Deportivo in the Women’s final.
But perhaps the title of most dedicated team should go to Wadebridge Girls U14s. They didn’t make it to the Manchester Finals, but having won their local heats, did claim a well-earned place in the southwest regional semi-finals.
And that was where the real team spirit and passion shone through as they embarked on a gruelling six-and-a-half hour round trip from their Cornwall village to the semi-final venue in Bristol.
Coach Jonathan Langton said: “It required a lot of travelling for us to take part. It’s a long way from where we live to Bristol – well over 120 miles. However we were very excited about the opportunity to take part so making the trek was never in doubt. We like to take any opportunity to participate in festivals, as the girls just love to play football, no matter what the result.”
It is anticipated that for People’s Cup 2016, a lot more teams will be following Wadebridge’s example.
The competition is run in partnership between The FA and BBC Get Inspired with the country’s leading small-sided football providers serving as delivery partners. Round One takes place over the weekend of January 22-24 and will feature a mammoth 2,000 hours of football played across more than a hundred venues.
More than 30,000 people competed in the inaugural competition and with People’s Cup 2015 proving to be such a big hit, next year’s tournament is expected to see even more participants.
And with the addition of a Womens Veterans (over 35s) competition (being played in Manchester, Coventry, Luton and Portsmouth) – bringing to four the number of girls and women’s teams – female participation is expected to see at 25% boost.
There will also be expanded mixed walking football and pan-disability tournaments with the format of the People’s Cup will mirror rounds of The Emirates FA Cup – and as with the oldest cup competition in the world; the BBC will be following every step of the way – with cameras trained across venues around the country to capture action as it unfolds.
Click HERE to find out more and discover how to ENTER.
