Futnet on the British Isles – Part 2
The visit of EFTA General Secretary and representatives of English futnet to Belfast continued on 18 November with the meeting with the key persons in the introduction of futnet in Northern Ireland.
EFTA General Secretary Ms Zuzana Viňanská:
“On Friday later on we were joined by the futnet promoter and organiser of theNorthern Ireland Futnet League (NIFTL) Mr Štefan Terek with whom we had an interesting debate about the plans for futnet development in the Northern Ireland.
Steps are being taken to set up a futnet association in Northern Ireland in January or early February next year and join EFTA as soon as the relevant administrative procedures are completed.
On 4 and 5 February next year, a course for referees and coaches by the EFTA / UNIF Technical Committee is to be held in Belfast on the occasion of 5th round on NIFTL. The idea is to provide a basic futnet coaching and refereeing training to physical education professionals, certified to work with children, who would go and teach futnet at schools in Northern Ireland.
In the picture above from left to right: Jarek Dylag, Zuzana Viňanská, Štefan Terek and Tomasz Zieba.
Mr Terek shared some useful information on grant applications procedure with his counterparts from England and, in general, both sides were very favourable to a more intensive collaboration between the two associations. EFNA representatives hope they could send a team over to the NIFTL tournament as soon as in January.
Next Sunday, 27 November, 3rd round of NIFTL is scheduled to take place with the participation of some new teams, among them the Shankill Leisure Centre team. This is especially thanks to the excellent work of Ms Iris McIlroy, Asst Leisure Manager at the Shankill Leisure Centre in Belfast (one of the leisure centres run by the Belfast City Council) where the futnet league as well as futnet trainings are held.
I had the great pleasure to meet Ms McIlroy in person and chat to her as well as Mr Terek about the introduction of this new sport in Northern Ireland. In Mr Terek’s words, Ms McIlroy (in the picture on the right) had been extremely helpful and supportive of his efforts to promote futnet in Belfast and start up a futnet league, from assisting in the grants application procedures to encouraging the members of the staff to take part in the futnet league. Her idea would be to make the Shankill Leisure Centre a futnet centre for Belfast and I am confident that with her passionate approach and the great efforts of Mr Terek this may become a reality not before long. Together with my colleagues from EFNA, I had the privilege to be shown around the premises and see for myself the excellent conditions that (not only) futnet players training or competing at Shankill Leisure Centre have at their disposal: several sports halls, swimming pool, sauna, gym, spinning room etc. And what is great all teams taking part in the NIFTL are invited to make use of all these facilities.
I must admit I was impressed by the great deal of hard and honest work that had been carried out by Mr Terek and Ms McIlroy in such a short time (virtually in about three months) since first mentions of futnet appeared in Northern Ireland. I appreciate their enormous efforts to make futnet a popular sporting activity in their country and their city and on behalf of EFTA, I can say we will do all we can to assist them in meeting their tasks and objectives.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Mr Terek for a very warm welcome and for the accommodation on 17 November in Belfast, kindly sponsored by Radisson Blu hotel, and I am looking forward to seeing him again in Belfast in February.”