“We’ll be ready!” That is the message from the largest organiser of the 6 a side leagues in the world, as they begin to plan for the end of the lockdown by announcing a major expansion of their existing leagues.

Many countries in Europe have already begun to loosen the laws surrounding movement, with Germany, Austria and Denmark already allowing people to return to work having relaxed their lockdown, and Leisure Leagues have reacted by announcing they will be creating thousands of spaces for new teams up and down the country in their existing leagues.

Director Tom Nash revealed the plan today and added: “When the lockdown for Coronavirus ends, there is going to be an incredible take up on new teams.

“People are already desperate to play football with their friends and family again, so since we had to pause them,  we have been looking at ways we can expand the leagues we run.”

Tom added: “This has been an unprecedented time in world history. We operate leagues all over the world, and right now, there are millions of people desperate to get active again.

“We know that our leagues everywhere they take place are vital community hubs, and that is going to be ever more important once Covid-19 is a distant nightmare.”

The winners and runners up in the competition will be placed into the Leisure Leagues prize draw, where the lucky winners could be going to a trip to watch a game at one of the top leagues in Europe.

In addition, Leisure Leagues is the official worldwide 6 a side football partner to the International Socca Federation, and because of this players who sign up to the competition can also take advantage of some unique opportunities, such as being able to represent their country in the 6 a side world cup.

However, it is not just about the elite players, as Tom said: “Everything at the league is set up for a brilliant season and there is no doubt that these extra spots we are creating will fill up very quickly. We are looking forward to welcoming the new teams in the coming fixtures.”

Leisure Leagues donates all the profits to charities and good causes and because of this they insist that the full match fee is paid to the referee each week. The easiest way for captains to do this is by making an online payment direct through the website. That has a practical benefit too, given the desire for increased cleanliness in the post-corona age, with Tom reasoning: “Obviously, not carrying cash has many benefits anyway, but especially after Covid-19, we would like to keep the handling of cash down to a minimum.”

To sign up to a league near you, click here: https://www.leisureleagues.net/search