Sunderland has been chosen as the location to launch an exciting new way to play to the beautiful game.
Many of the world's greatest sports are primarily played individually: golf, boxing, tennis, darts, snooker, and many more. ONE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL (www.oneasidefootball.com) is combining the world's greatest sport, football, with the competitive individuality of those sports in an organised league and tournament-based way, where people can win money and prizes.
On the 27th of July, 64 highly competitive, aspiring men and women footballers will compete to win the inaugural Paddy Power One-a-Side Football World Cup and take home a £750 cash prize.
While some of the 64 places have already been taken, the ONE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL team has deliberately kept spaces open for people from the North East who are keen to take part.
Rich Stonehouse of ONE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL said, “If people from the North East and beyond want to compete in the Paddy Power One-a-Side Football World Cup and get the chance to win £750, they should go to www.oneasidefootball.com and get in touch.”
Stonehouse continued, “With a prize of £750 and the cost to compete being zero, the Paddy Power One-a-Side Football World Cup is a great opportunity for passionate footballers who want to show how good they are.”
“While spaces are limited, and consequently some people will be disappointed, the process to apply takes less than 30 seconds: just get in touch via the contact form online and then we’ll be in touch with next steps.”
Asked who can take part in the tournament, Stonehouse said, “For the event on July 27th, players must be 18+, competitive and good at football.
ONE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL is incredibly tough, with very little respite, so players need to be athletic and highly active. The competition is open to both men and women, who will compete on equal footballing terms.” ONE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL believes the format will become popular with participants, viewers, brands and broadcasters worldwide; the football equivalent of UFC, perhaps.
A sentiment shared by Michael Cunnah, the ex-Finance Director of The Football Association and the current Chairman of iSportconnect (www.isportconnect.com), the world's largest private network for sports business executives, who said “ONE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL is a fascinating concept that will prove to be very popular. It will be the ultimate test of individual football skills.”
Paddy Power the person, of Paddy Power the bookmaker, said, “It’s a tournament that grabbed our attention immediately. Who needs teammates when you can do it all yourself and get the glory? It’s all or nothing - there’s no hiding. The result lays solely on your own shoulders. We never see that in football and that’s what we love about it.”
James Dickens, the Global Editor-in-Chief of the world’s most-visited football site www.Goal.com, said, “ONE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL is the natural progression from freestyling. It’s a compelling concept and an amazing chance to grow an individual’s brand - this is football for the Instagram generation.”