Leisure Leagues Match Night Supervisor in Bridgend, and Wales 6 a side football manager, Barry John, admitted his side faced a “tricky” test if they are to progress beyond the group stage of the Socca World Cup.

The Welsh side, packed full of Leisure Leagues players, head to Crete, knowing they will need to overcome last years runners up , Poland, Belgium, Lithuania and new boys Morocco and the experienced boss reckons it could have been better for his charges:

“This is a quite a tricky group, Poland lost in lasts years final to Germany and will be hoping to go one better this year, they are a very good side and know how to play small sided football,” he said.

Belgium are a side that Wales have come across a couple of times over the years, and John reckons that insight will be vital: “We recently played Belgium in the UK Summer Series (pictured above) and won 8-0, avenging the 2-1 loss against them in last year’s World Cup, the game in Crete will be much different to our recent encounter. We will not be taking this game lightly at all, Belgium will keen to repeat the win they gained in Lisbon.

“Knowing Henri Bogdan [Manager] from Belgium he will be hurting from the 8-0 loss so our players will have to be on their game to repeat the result, one which I think we are capable of doing.”

The boss was also upset that his country wasn’t paired against one country in particular: “I have to say I am little disappointed not be drawn on the pot A with the host Greece,” he admitted. “I think it would have been great for the squad to play the hosts nation, let’s hope we meet them in the knockout stages of the tournament.”

This is a new look Wales team, with Dean Maynard taking over as skipper for the first time, but Barry said they were hungry to do well. “The squad will have make sure that they play to their best of their ability in every game, take on board what we have be doing in the training camps and hopefully the results will come.

“We cannot wait to take part in this world cup, we are quite privileged to be one of only 40 teams that are taking part in Crete, which is going to be a fantastic event.”

Leisure Leagues James Coe explained it was only through Leisure Leagues integral involvement in the ISF that players were able to receive this opportunity: “No other league provider is able to give you the chance to go right from your local Leisure Centre to the very top of the televised matches in the World Cup. And we are very proud of all the players from around the world that are playing in this competition in 2019.”

The Welsh national team is grateful for the assistance of: Zock, Premgripp, UHISports, Body Bond Tapes, Defiance Gloves and Brackla Sports Centre