It was a busy weekend at grassroots level, as The FA People’s Cup semi-finals took place across the country.
With the nation’s biggest five-a-side tournament, in conjunction with BBC Get Inspired, starting out with a record 6000 teams and over 40,000 players involved in February’s first round, the stakes were much higher this time as places in the Grand Finals were up for grabs.
The winning teams from the first round converged at regional football centres nationwide, with games taking place in 16 different categories, including adult men and women, junior teams, walking football and disability sections.
And with only 96 spots available for the Grand Finals in Birmingham in April, and the chance of being at the Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley in May to pick up the trophy, there was no shortage of competitive and community spirit at all of the venues.
As expected, there were plenty of team names to bring a smile to the face too with the likes of Dynamo Chicken Kiev in the adult female category in Leeds, Pele’s Pearls in the walking football in Wimbledon and Sesh Fabregas in the men’s adult round in Bristol all targeting their spot at the Finals.
