ETC National Futsal Finals Close Out Successful First Year of FA Partnership with England Futsal
The partnership focuses on delivering a national futsal competition and coach education to each of the 72 Girls’ Emerging Talent Centres at U10 and U12 level nationwide, with National Futsal Champions crowned in the end-of-season showpiece tournaments.
Manchester City celebrate being crowned U10 National Futsal Champions in Derby.
It was Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion who were crowned as the first-ever ETC Futsal Champions, as they overcame competition from a strong roster of other regional qualifiers in the National Futsal Finals at Repton School Sports Centre, Derby, on Friday 10th April.
It was the final act in the first year of a new partnership between the FA’s Girls’ Emerging Talent Centre Programme and England Futsal, which began in Autumn 2025 with a series of regional taster festivals before progressing to Regional Qualifiers, which took place in six different locations throughout the country back in February.
The goal is simple. To offer the country’s most talented young, female players with a varied and competitive game format, contributing to their individual development.
England Futsal has also promoted workforce development within each of the ETC centres, with nationwide delivery of futsal-specific CPD, a bursary to take part in the National Futsal Course, and even opportunities to observe our senior National Teams in training.
ETC Player Development Lead for the North, Alex Lisney, said:
“It’s been incredibly exciting to see the players develop across the first year of our partnership with England Futsal. Watching their confidence, technical ability, and game understanding grow has really highlighted the value of integrating futsal within the ETC environment.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed supporting the delivery of the programme and working closely with coaches and players throughout the year. We look forward to building on these foundations in year two and seeing the continued impact this partnership can have on player development.”
Hands on the Prize
U12 Champions Brighton get their hands on the National Futsal Trophy after a tough fought journey on Finals Day.
Alana Cunningham, England Futsal’s National Development Officer, said:
“We are really pleased with how the partnership between England Futsal and The FA Women’s Department has developed across the season, creating consistent and meaningful futsal opportunities for players within all 72 ETCs.
Alongside this, ETC coaches have been supported through a blend of in-person and online CPD, helping to strengthen their knowledge and giving them the tools to better support player development within their environments.
Players have had the chance to explore the fundamentals and try new things through a series of regional taster festivals, before progressing into regional qualifiers. This journey has ultimately led to the introduction of the first ETC National Futsal Cup, with finals at Repton School providing a fantastic platform to showcase the talent, learning and progress across the pathway.
This first year has been hugely valuable in building strong foundations — creating opportunities for players to play and compete, while also continuing to develop and support coaches across the network.
We are excited to see what year two brings, and to continue supporting the growth of both the programme and the players within it.”
The regional qualifiers produced six champions at each of the U10 and U12 age groups, who then battled it out in two Finals Day groups in a fine display of technical ability, tactical awareness and resilience, all core principles of futsal development within the ETC pathway.
The Finals Day Lineup
U10 - Pymouth Argyle (South West), Arsenal (London & South East), Manchester City (North West), Newcastle United (North East), Nottingham Forest (Midlands), Ipswich Town (East)
Final - Arsenal vs Manchester City
National Champions - Manchester City
A City vs Arsenal title fight, sound familiar?
U10 National Champions - Manchester City
U10s Final - Manchester City vs Arsenal
The Citizens edged a tight final on penalties.
U12 - Devon FA (South West), Brighton & Hove Albion (London & South East), Liverpool (North West), Newcastle United (North East), West Bromwich Albion (Midlands), Ipswich Town (East)
Final - Brighton vs Newcastle
National Champions - Brighton
Seagulls Soar in National Finals.
U12 National Champions - Brighton & Hove Albion
U12 Final - Brighton vs Newcastle
Brighton also came past Newcastle on penalties, after a closely fought final in the older age group.
The Collaboration of Futsal and Football
Paige Govier-Shorten, ETC Player Development Lead for London, East and South East, further demonstrates the collaboration between football and futsal, having earlier this season started a role as Technical Support Coach for the England Futsal Lionesses. Paige joined the team on their most recent trip to Lithuania for the 2027 Women’s UEFA Futsal Euro Qualifiers and has settled into the set-up smoothly, adding immediate value to the squad environment.
On the ETC Partnership specifically, she said:
“The partnership between England Futsal and the FA Womens Club Talent Pathway has made really positive progress within the ETC space over the past year. To name a few in our club pathway - Alex Lisney, Matt Hare and Geoffrey Gulzar, alongside a committed wider team, have helped develop a purposeful and collaborative relationship with England Futsal focusing on supporting both player and workforce development.
Working within a team of three, we, as ETC Player Development Leads, support ETC coaches in identifying and nurturing talent. We provide opportunities for individual player development, embed varied game formats, and offer competitive opportunities to challenge players and build strong technical and physical foundations. Futsal has been a great tool to expose our ETC players to different formats and levels of competition. Through futsal taster events, regional qualifiers, and national finals, our players experienced a variety of challenges.
Across these opportunities, players excitement and competitiveness were clear to see, and they embraced the challenge. Just as importantly, the partnership has created valuable opportunities for our ETC workforce. Coaches have engaged in CPD, online learning and face-to-face development, as well as having the chance to observe the Lionesses in training and fixture camp.
With so much achieved in year one, there's a desire for the programme to evolve and continue to support the development of players and our ETC coaching workforce in years two and three.”
With plans already in place for next year’s programme, England Futsal looks forward to continuing to support the development of young female players across the country and upskilling the coaches that work with them in the core principles of futsal.
Gifted Gunner.
ETC Player Development Lead & England Futsal Lionesses Technical Support Coach, Paige Govier-Shorten, stands with an outstanding Arsenal player during the award presentations.
In All its Glory.
Just look at that. The trophy on the line at Repton School, Derby.
