Sky Sports has announced a new six-a-side league ‘with a twist’ – and it’s not taking players out of a potential Vanarama National League relegation battle.
The competition is a UK version of The Baller League which began in Germany and will take place at the Copper Box Arena in London. According to the Sky Sports website: “The influencer-led league – headlined by KSI for the UK version – sees former Premier League players, futsal players and celebrities face one another in 12 teams to win the Baller League.”
12 teams will face each other in games of 15 minute halves, but the twist (it says here) is that in the final three minutes each team is reduced to three players, goalkeepers cannot use their hands and long range goals count for double.
Luis Figo, John Terry and Gary Lineker are among stars managing teams in the competition which begins on March 24 2025.
What’s the problem then?
Taking it’s cue (probably) from cricket’s IPL and maybe The Hundred, a draft was held on Monday night to fill each squad, and several players who might otherwise be involved in 11-a-side season run-ins were picked up. Notably Jordon Ibe of Hungerford Town and Remy Clerima of Maidenhead United.
There were also players in the draft from Wealdstone, Dagenham & Redbridge and Welling United.
The Magpies, Stones and Daggers are all involved in a relegation battle from the top tier National League while Welling are struggling in the National League South.
For Maidenhead, come the start of this tournament they will still have seven games remaining to preserve their status with games away at Dagenham and Wealdstone to come in that run.
And the positives
For Maidenhead’s Clerima at least, the opportunity is a good shop window for his talents having just returned to the Magpies line up after a long-term injury, and while we don’t know what players are being paid to take part, given the tournament will be live on Sky Sports, there’s certainly some extra cash to be made.
Clerima will be joined in the ‘Yanited’ squad by ex Reading FC and Bracknell Town defender Michael Hector with the team managed by ‘Angry Ginge’.
Jordon Ibe meanwhile is in the 26ers squad managed by John Terry and Slough Town pair Henry Ochieng and Ody Alfa are also involved.
26ers – J’ardell Stirling, Bilal Sayoud, Sak Hassan, Kojo Apenteng, Marcel Lewis, Jordon Ibe, Matt Chizzum, Emmanuel Rowe, Justin Dass, Spike Stegel, Vladislav Platinov, Jack Crook.
Yanited – Kadell Daniel, Michael Hector, Mohammed Mahyoub, Remy Clerima, Percy Kiangebeni, Medy Elito, Max Pitman, Harry Cain, Henry O’Shea, Daniel Thompson, Daniel Woods, Pharrel Mensah
SDS FC – Bruno Andrade, Bayley Brown, Ody Alfa, Cole Da Silva, David Marques Castanho, Calvin Dickson, Big John, Camillo Astreppo, Finley Chadwick, Michael Felibe, Hussein Mahdi, Tyler Edmundson.
