Sala celebrate record breaking success

Tameside’s Sala Futsal Club recently enjoyed a historic day at the England Futsal National Youth Cup Finals at Repton Sports Centre, becoming the first club in the country to have both its U16 Girls and U16 Boys teams reach the National Final in the same season. 

The Sala U16 Girls kicked off the day’s action against Bloomsbury Futsal Club from London and produced a dominant display to be crowned National Champions with an emphatic 7-0 victory. 

The girls were outstanding from the first whistle and raced into a 5-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Emily Staunton (2), Mia Gosling, Olivia Connolly and Ava Gibbons.  

They continued where they left off in the second half, with further goals from Ava Gibbons and Mia Gosling completing a superb team performance and securing the National Youth Cup title. 

The victory is a fitting reward for a talented group of players who have worked tirelessly throughout the season and have now etched their names into the club’s history. 

Later in the day, Sala’s U16 Boys faced Peterborough Futsal in the National Final. 

The boys made a bright start and took an early lead, but Peterborough responded strongly and went into the break with a 3-1 advantage. 

Despite showing tremendous determination and battling throughout the second half, the boys were unable to turn the game around and eventually went down 7-3.  

While disappointed with the result, reaching the National Final remains an outstanding achievement and highlights the quality and commitment of the squad throughout the season. 

Reflecting on the day, Sala Head Coach Neil Lucas said: 

“It is a fantastic achievement for the club to become the first club to get both boys and girls U16 teams to a National Final. 

“On the day, the girls did the job and the boys fell short, but overall this is a fantastic day for the club and cements Sala as one of the country’s leading youth futsal providers.” 

The achievements of both teams underline the strength of Sala Futsal Club’s player development programme and its commitment to developing talented young players.  

Having two teams reach the biggest stage in English youth futsal and bringing home a National Championship is another significant milestone for a club that continues to set standards within the game.