PESL Futsal Cup

The PESL Futsal Cup is an annual event taking place every August in Clitheroe, in the heart of the Ribble Valley. The competition is one of only a few futsal tournaments which take place in the north of England.

History

PESL Futsal Cup Champions

Season	Winners
2006	Re'ad Madrid
2005	Malia Massive
2004	Malia Massive
2003	Aragon

PESL 5-a-side was founded by Damon Shaw and Craig Brown in February 2003, whilst on a train journey from York to Middlesbrough. After months of planning the vision became reality and August of that year saw the first ever PESL tournament, held at Roefield Stadium, Clitheroe. Eight teams contested for the trophy in two groups of four, followed by the knockout stages. The historic first ever winners were Aragon, a team which included both Shaw and Brown, as they beat Stanley Arms 5-2 in the final. It was an appropriate end to the tournament, as recognition of all the work put in by them.

Since the 2003 tournament, PESL has evolved rapidly, with 2004 seeing an expansion to 12 teams, the birth of the official website and all matches being filmed by dedicated cameramen. A presentation evening held at Accrington Stanley Football Club rounded off what had been another hugely successful tournament, with Malia Massive being crowned champions.

2005 saw the tournament being renamed "The PESL Futsal Cup" with 15 teams competing for the brand new trophy. Malia Massive recorded their second successive triumph with a 3-2 victory over Roe Lee Renegades in an excellent final, overseen by a fully qualified referee, a sign of the times to come as the tournament becomes more respected by the year.

2006 was arguably the most dramatic finish yet, with Re'ad Madrid denying Malia Massive a third successive triumph with a 3-0 victory in the final.

The future of the competition appears to be in doubt, after last year's event was cancelled due to scheduling issues and little evidence to suggest PESL will be revived this year.

External links

• The PESL Futsal Cup^{[dead link]}