Bolton Futsal Club is celebrating its 10-year anniversary - and thriving more than ever.
From a club set up in 2014 to offer youngsters in Bolton an opportunity to play the sport, it has grown to one with both men’s and women’s senior teams and an Under-19s development squad.
And several players from all three teams represent England in a sport that has grown immensely in recent times.
The club was established in 2014 by founder Mic Parish for the children of Bolton to be introduced to futsal - a skill-based ball game that increases individual footwork and decision-making.
It became increasingly popular, with children attending from the age of six up to 16 in its formative years and now has a senior pathway for girls and boys who want to play futsal.
One of the boys eventually turned 16 which started the progression of the first senior futsal team and it progressed from there.
All senior teams play in the FA National Futsal League with the senior sides based at Ordsall Leisure in Salford, with no venues within Bolton that meet FA League requirements.
But the junior sessions are still based in and around Bolton, from Horwich Leisure centre, St James High School, in Farnworth, and Southlands, in Chorley.
The club’s success is something chairwoman, Natalie Fulop, is rightly proud of as it marks a decade of growth.
She said: “I have been a part of Bolton Futsal Club since 2013 when it was just one skill-based futsal session based out of Horwich Leisure Centre.
“I brought my son, Bradley, along at the the age of six, and Mic created something really special - a family environment where children felt comfortable and just loved to be a part of it.
“The club just kept getting bigger and bigger, so I just kept helping Mic wherever I could.
“Eleven years later and we are both still here, though Mic went back home to live in Australia last December and asked myself and Stuart Cook to take over the club.
“I aim to continue to strive to improve and keep up this incredible club that Mic has created.”
Stuart Cook is a renowned futsal player and is regarded as one of the best players in the country to ever hit the court, boasting 85 caps for England futsal.
He joined the team at Bolton more than five years ago with his son Tyler to take on a coaching role and it that time the club has gone from strength to strength with no signs of slowing down.
Cook also gained further international notoriety when he was named head coach for Northern Ireland Futsal, competing in Cyprus.
In 2023, when the England Futsal Programme was re-established, he was invited in as assistant coach in the England U19s programme, which saw one of Bolton’s academy graduates, Robbie Deighan, make selection and compete in Italy in the UEFA Futsal Cup.
This year, Bolton has six youngsters representing the national side - one being Fulop’s son Bradley Aspinall and Cook junior, Tyler.
She added: “We have Bradley and Tyler, as well as Comrie Smith, Logan Coates, Jake Martin and Henry Tegetmeir, who have been trialling for England Futsal over the past 12 months out of 100s of players.
“They were whittled down to the final 26 players and the Bolton teenagers are officially part of the England Futsal Training Programme, hoping to gain selection in readiness for the competition in March 2025.
“This group of players has been 10 years in the making and we are so proud our Bolton boys have the chance to represent England.”
England futsal are working non stop to find sponsors to support the return of the national teams as, even though the English FA is the national governing body of futsal it provides no monetary support.
England Futsal have secured some sponsorship and funding to support the actual competition, but not enough to cover the training camps up until competition date, so the players are looking to self fund.
Fulop went on: “As a club we have a gofundme page set up to assist the U19s, we wanted to make sure all our players get the equal opportunity to have the chance to represent England without feeling any financial burden.
“We are looking for donations or business sponsors, if anyone out there could help support our club - the page can be accessed at https://gofund.me/e34dc53d.”
It is not only the younger players representing Bolton either.
Last month, the establishment of the first ever England Futsal Women’s team, who again competed in the main rounds of the UEFA Futsal Cup, saw four of Bolton Women’s team make selection - head coach Laura Tobin, Lailah Booth, Kirsty Kural and Joy Lowe.
They travelled out to Moldova and gained their first caps with Booth having been at BFC since she was 10 years old - the club’s first female academy graduate.
The senior men’s England team will be competing in the UEFA main rounds, which will see them host Spain to qualify for the finals.
Bolton again have good player representation with Stuart Cook, Sam McGrath, Liam Palfreeman and goalkeeper Joe Payne all set to be involved.
It all adds up to a first decade of success for Bolton Futsal Club.
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