THE RUNDOWN

An ambitious football project involving David Beckham’s personal manager Terry Byrne, football professionals, major investors and Al Douglas. Within the UK, 5-a-side is by far the most popular of a number of games which the English FA term “small-sided football”. They say that 1.5m adults play every week and there are 30,000 teams playing in leagues. N5L decided that they wanted to design the world’s first professional Premier League that would represent all of the national 5-a-side games. Forget everything you know about football, as the beautiful game is about to get even easier on the eye. Dispel memories of rainy evenings in Stoke or miserable trips to watch your side lose at home while paying over the odds for a cup of tea and a pie, and instead switch to N5L. The newly formed National Fives League combines street soccer, music, dance and even pyrotechnics to create a new form of entertainment, aiming to please everyone. It takes a slice out of what everyone loves about sport and pieces them all together to create a supersport. There are new rules. New players. A new attitude.

Video Clip 

THE GOALS 

• When the football season ends there’s an alternative happening that will do more than just fill the time before the Premier League returns in August. • Fans will get the chance to watch the world’s best freestylers, Futsal stars and 5-a-side players in a tournament that gives the beautiful game a unique twist. Skilful players will please lovers of the game, kids will be entertained by the sideshows and the whole family will be thrilled with affordable tickets and access. • Al Douglas will provide operational and strategy ideas, production, artists, performers as well as work with the brand partnerships team.

THE APPROACH 

• Al Douglas will collaborate in the design of the start of the event with a unique and exciting carnival fan zone before customers take their seats for live performances and the game. Then at Half time entertainment comes in the form of Red Bull sponsored urban athletes, the best BMXers, Skateboarders and Free Runners on the planet. • BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty) to manage the marketing campaigns for the event. • WonderWorks Ltd is best well known for the spectacular production at the London 2012 Olympic Games to manage the end-to-end technical production for the event. • Various outlets and competitions to be marketed before the event for customers to win tickets. • Secure sports personalities to present/ commentate the live events. This is where it gets really interesting. The teams are made up of freestyle footballers, former academy stars from top sides and some of the most talented players to have just missed out on a career at the highest level of the game we all love. Jayzinho adds some Chilean flair, Dutchman Edward van Gils featured in EA’s FIFA Street, Soufiane Bencok is known for his staggering ‘Bencok Clutch’ trick and there’s even some English talent in the shape of Rob Ursell and Stuart Cook – the latter is the captain of the Manchester Futsal Club.

THE RESULTS 

• N5L – World Class Sport meets World Class Entertainment meets ultimate fan experience. • Artists booked: DJ Beat a Maxx, Wretch32, Lucy Kay and The Thirst. • This event is yet to happen. Though all the leg work, marketing and production were in place, due to investor issues the N5L event had to be put on hold till further notice.