WARRINGTON Futsal Club are at the forefront of a new league aiming at growing the game across the north west.

The club are founder members of the FA North West Youth Futsal League, which gets underway this weekend and involves teams from Cheshire, Lancashire, Manchester and Liverpool.

Five teams currently represent the club, from the under 8s to under 16s age groups, and the under 10s will have the honour of kicking off the first ever match in the new league.

Futsal is an indoor, small-sided version of football played with a heavier ball, with greater emphasis on passing and technique.

Club chairman Karl Burns is relishing the opportunity for his club, which launched in October last year, to be part of something unique.

“I’m extremely excited and proud to be a founder member of the FA North West Futsal League, the first of its kind in the country,” he said.

“For our coaching staff and players, this season will primarily be about learning and development as we compete against established, elite clubs – some of whom boast a youth programme spanning over a decade

“Our aim is to achieve Charter Standard status by the end of the year.”

Games will be played once a month per age group at a select venue, with the first set of fixtures being held at Liverpool College on Saturday.

Neil McDermott, head coach of Warrington’s under 10s team, says his players are very excited to get their campaign underway.

“It’s going to be a proud moment for everyone connected to the club,” he said.

“A lot of hard work has gone into getting us to this stage. Now it’s time to get on the court and play some futsal.

“The kids we’ve got are a great bunch who are all individually skilful players with plenty of confidence.

“They’ve been working hard to gel as a team so I’m looking forward to seeing how they do.

“We are going to be playing against some well-established futsal clubs this season and we are under no illusions that it’s going to be difficult.

“However, for us, we’ll be looking to build as the season goes on and we’ll approach each match with the aim of enjoying it and learning from it.

“The main thing is the kids come off the court smiling.”

Later on Saturday, the under 12s will get their campaign underway.

Their head coach Greg Clare says the amount the club has achieved up to this point is “unbelievable.”

“The work involved in getting us to this point can not be underestimated,” he said.

“It really has been a collaborative effort, and big thanks go out to all the County FA’s for making this happen.

“Another big thank you also goes out to Karl Burns, who really has been a driving force behind establishing the league, as well as forming Warrington’s first ever futsal club.

“It’s unbelievable to see what the club has achieved in such a short period of team. I’m personally really excited to be a part of this journey.

“For my team, it’s a fantastic opportunity for them to develop their futsal skills and experience, showcase their talent and build relationships.

“They are a fantastic group and it’s been great working with them for the last couple of months.

“It will be an amazing experience for them and I can’t wait to see them in action.

“This will be their first game representing Warrington Futsal Club and whatever the score, it will be a proud moment for everyone involved.”

The club are running development sessions at Beamont Collegiate Academy ever Monday between 6pm and 8pm.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the club should email dan@warringtonfutsal.com or check out the club’s Twitter (@warrfutsalclub) and Instagram (@warringtonfutsalclub) pages.