5-a-side. Powerleague. Cage football. 

Whatever you want to call it, there’s no denying the impact that grassroots football has had on football culture in England. Grown men and women, well past their athletic primes, knocking a ball around for hours after work, hoping to knock one past their friend in goal. At its core, 5-a-side football sits at the heart of English football culture. Playing purely for the love of the sport, and nothing else. In an utterly meaningless game, players take pride in every pass, every tackle, and every goal. Rather potently, 5-a-side football sums up what the English game is all about. 

In terms of the impact that 5-a-side has on the people who play it, rather than the football culture it helps create, it serves as a way for members of a community to stay connected, keep fit and healthy, and is an outlet for friends (especially men) to keep in touch over the years. 

Yes, that’s correct. Men specifically, have a special connection to playing 5-a-side football. This isn’t to say that women don’t partake in these matches either, because they absolutely do, and have great fun doing so. But, many men, as compared to women, find it difficult to remain in contact with their friends as their lives go on, and playing 5-a-side helps men overcome that challenge. It sounds silly, but it’s the truth. For many men, it’s as easy as dropping a message into a group chat, and before you know it, you’re flying into tackles and dribbling past your friends.

The power of 5-a-side goes beyond simply staying in touch as well. Society often tells men to keep their emotions bottled in, and many view it as socially unacceptable for a man to express his feelings. However, 5-a-side seems to exist outside of those societal bounds. It’s a place where men can come together and express their emotions through sport, which is deemed to be socially acceptable. Yelling, screaming, laughing, and even crying, all have their place on the 5-a-side pitch. Simply put, it’s an outlet for many young men in England, and English football culture wouldn’t be the same without it.

However, it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows either. As with everything, even 5-a-side football comes with a catch. Many avid players take issue with the fact that many of these pitches aren’t free to play, and worry about the impact that it has on football culture as a whole.

 “It blocks kids out of the game, and I’m not a fan.”, says Alex, 22, from London. 

It’s a very nuanced culture, and one that has more layers than initially meets the eye. There’s a certain barrier to entry that may turn some folks away, yet others enjoy that very same barrier. 

“Sure, it’s expensive, but it helps keep the facilities nice, and we know we’re getting quality.”, says Sam, 23, from London.

Like anything, the culture surrounding 5-a-side football comes with its positives and negatives. However, one thing is for certain. Above all else, 5-a-side football brings people together, and is the reason why the English game, is in fact, the English game.