ENGLAND SQUAD ANNOUNCED FOR BUBBLE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP
Wednesday 28th June
Step aside Sterling, Alli, Kane and welcome Tuwai, Fadehan, Jackson, Bridges and Tucker, also known as ‘The Neville Wears Prada’ – who this weekend were crowned as England’s first ever international Bubble Football squad.
The team hope to bounce their way into international glory representing England at The Stag Company Bubble Football World Cup in London in May 2018 following a national qualification tournament.
The qualifiers took place on Sunday 25 June at Powerleague, Shoreditch where players donned inflatable zorbs to play five-a-side football with a twist.
A fast, competitive and tactical game, bubble football is one of the nation’s latest sporting crazes allowing bigger tackles but still demanding high levels of footballing skill.
‘The Neville Wears Prada’ displayed smart footwork, excellent bounce backs, impressive bubble tackles and solid teamwork successfully working their way to the final against ‘Son’s Of Pitches’, beating ‘Football Beyond Borders’ and ‘Seagulls’. The final resulted in a 4-4 finish, leading to extra time and concluding with penalties. The winning team won the penalties 3-1 – proving their performance under pressure!
The squad will spend the next ten months training and preparing for the 2018 World Cup, where the finals are set to take place on Wembley’s hallowed turf.
David Bridges, ‘The Neville Wears Prada’ Captain and ex-professional footballer with Cambridge Utd, Kettering Town and Stevenage FC, said: “It’s unbelievable to think we will be able to say we were at the first ever Bubble Football World Cup and we represented England. Son’s of Pitches were a really hard team to beat, but we just about won it. Now to prepare for next May!”
Rob Hill, The Stag Company CEO & Founder of the Bubble Football World Cup, said: “With Bubble Football being a hugely popular stag activity, we wanted to branch out and invite sportsmen from across the country to have a go at the football-come-zorb phenomenon.
“Having successfully launched the Bubble Football World Cup and getting 12 international teams to register, we just needed an England squad to represent the nation.
“We’re confident that ‘The Neville Wears Prada’ will succeed in the 2018 World Cup and make the footballing nation proud again.”
England’s biggest competition is currently the USA, as the bubble football association boasts 39 leagues.
That said, there is optimism in the air that England will regain its football legacy and preserve its prestige in the sporting world, as hope has been restored that the Bubble Football World Cup could see England lift the first football trophy since the 1966 World Cup!
The Bubble Football World Cup tournament is set to take place throughout the weekend of 19-20 May 2018, where the final will be hosted in Wembley. For more information visit https://www.thestagcompany.com/bubble-football-world-cup.