Ten days on from their brilliant success in becoming the first university of York sports team to win a premier division in history, the reality of the success for York’s futsal team is finally setting in. For York to be crowned the top university in the north is a marvellous achievement and one which will live long in the memory of everybody involved.
Futsal President Dom Hallas was as delighted as any at the club’s achievement, which he labelled as “fantastic”, and he took time out of his busy schedule to speak exclusively to Vision. To many onlookers the success was a shock, but not to Hallas who has held high hopes for his side all season.
The third year said: “At the start of the season we were trying to downplay our chances, as we didn’t want the pressure, but really we’ve known all season that we’re a good, strong side in a position to potentially win the BUCS Championship.
“Essentially that’s our expectation, and we want to at least make the top-four. The draw that we’ve been handed has given us a chance to do just that, and I don’t see why we can’t go all the way.”
In the next round York host Leicester on 10th February, and Hallas called upon York students to lend their support, telling Vision: “If we can get a few fans down that would be fantastic, and would help to create a good atmosphere, put them under pressure and make sure we end up winning.”
He added: “Teams come to play us in the tent, where it’s freezing cold and it’s quite funny really. We play some of the top sporting universities with amazing facilities, so when the opposition come into the tent and its minus-two as it was against Sheffield Hallam in our last match, it’s a bit of a shock.” Indeed home advantage could well prove crucial for York in their upcoming contest, as they aim to secure unprecedented sporting success.
Futsal is not a particularly high profile sport in the UK, and when asked how he would explain the sport, Hallas commented: “Basically it’s a five-a-side football game, but very different from ordinary five-a-side as we play it in England, as it’s much more technical and tactical. Largely it’s much more skills based, rather than all the hacking and barging that you get in the English game.”
York possesses the oldest futsal club in the country at university level, started 15 years ago by a Portuguese student. Hallas added: “It was originally a social club with over 100 lads playing, and in the last few years it became more serious and more about winning titles. The club is now more focused on winning than it ever has been before.”
Two years ago during Hallas’ first year the side were relegated from the Premier League, but last year they earned promotion back to the top division, and this year’s achievements have surpassed any that preceded it. Hallas said: “It’s been great there’s no other way to put it. We’ve won every game we’ve played, only having to forfeit due to an administrative error.
“We’ve been fantastic all season and that’s largely down to the fact that we’ve been working for with a proper coach for the past two years, a former professional who played in Brazil and Italy, and who’s probably amongst the top five coaches in the country.”
Indeed it is an exciting time to get involved with futsal at York, and when asked how people could do this Hallas explained: “We’re running sessions at the moment on Sunday nights in the tent from 7-9pm, which are part of the series of sessions that YUSU are running at the moment. It’s basically for people to come down, have a game and see what it’s all about. You get to beat me and all the other futsal lads who play particularly terribly in training, and then manage to turn up at the games.”
Anyone could be part of this boundary pushing society, and when I put Hallas on the spot and asked him to describe futsal to me in three words, he responded: “Tactical, fast and fun.” That’s the key to it, the fact its fun, and the side always seem to be enjoying themselves, a factor which has been instrumental in their success. Long may it continue.
First of all can I offer my congrats to the Futsal team. As a college player we are obviously very happy for you…. But is it not a bit overdramatic to be stating them as one of the best clubs on campus when all they have had to do is play 4 games, and losing 1? It’s a bit awkward that the sport is largely uncontested by many of the big unis in the country. Could probably put a team together of only college players that would give this team a good run for its money. So over the top.
Thanks for the congratulations. Had you played against these teams however you would have realised that actually the large sports universities do compete. We have beaten the national champions for the last two years in our league to win it and only lost to Manchester as the university didn’t provide us with referees. Please do put together a college team. As for questioning the standard the first team contains 3 university 1st football players, a goalkeeper who could play for England and a player who plays in the national league for Leeds. As for our coach, he played professionally in brazil, italy and spain. So yes, if you feel you could do better, come down for a game. I’m sure as a college player you have more experience and skill than this entire team combined and the team could learn valuable lessons from your footballing expertise.
Well said Futsal player, well said.
When you are currently sitting in 3b with over 20 teams ahead of you in the leagues having “three university 1st football players” is not much of an achievement to be honest. What I was trying to intimate was that out of these 20 odd teams in your league and above you who could possibly compete in the futsal, only 4 do, and lets be honest they wouldn’t play 1st team players in this excuse for a competition anyway. Its not the greatest achievement in the world.
But ye congrats n all that.
‘College player’ on behalf of all college sport, and all college sports men and women who unlike you, are not complete tools, please you could you pipe down as you are giving everyone else a bad name. Much appreciated.