You're all kitted out with the latest boots, snazzy retro shirt and Iron Man shin pads. You've furiously signed up friends, family and randoms to your 1st weekly game.....but then you realise you need a venue! This guide will help you decide what pitches offer what, our honest opinions and finally we'll give them a rating out of 7 (it had to be, come on!). It's not just about having turf to play on, but facilities, ease of location, quality, and any extras like leagues, tournaments etc.
Remember, we've spoken before at length about adding value to your weekly games. If you finally get a game set in stone, the last thing you need is a rubbish venue, it could be the difference between creating a lasting dynasty a la Real Madrid or being a deadline day flop.
This beautiful pitch is from FIFA 20, but its a depiction of a real venue in Tokyo, siick right!
PlayFootball - Shepherd's Bush
41 S Africa Rd,
Shepherd's Bush,
London
W12 7RW
Key Points: 3G, 5-a-side only, FootyAddicts
Location: Nearest tube is White City on the central line and it's just off the A219, down the road from QPR's home stadium. It's also a casual 15-20 minute walk from Westfield Shopping Centre if you fancy a warm-up pre-match. Being near Westfield, you can easily get to more lively bars and food after your game too.
Facilities: It only has 1 toilet, which isn't great but it has got an onsite bar for players with live TV perfect for the post-match pint. It's a good option, in the sense that you can get straight to drinking with your kit still on, some bars are a little picky about your attire. There's car parking provided you request a spot first via the venue's website. There's always PlayFootball staff around if you have any questions as well as provide fully pumped balls. Please note I couldn't see any changing rooms.
Pitch: 3G - Probably the best surface I've played on when it comes to 3G. All the pitches look uniform and the turf is really noice, smooth, akin to elite level grass. It has the usual black crumb, most do, but it doesn't seem too invasive either. So your bag, boots and socks don't seem to get AS MUCH crumb as other pitches. I've had a history of injuries so I feel like an authority on pitches. I've had no issues with PlayFootball's venue, so if I can hack it, then anyone can. The only complaint I have is the size of the goals. Height-wise, they are fine, but they are ridiculously wide, which makes games high scoring. It's not too much of a negative in terms of overall enjoyment and it applies to both teams, but can be annoying if you play in goal and see shots flying in with little you can do to stop it.
Extras: PlayFootball are a chain of venues looking to compete with Powerleague and as such they have a few leagues available as well as tournaments throughout the year. Most of their leagues have 2 x divisions which is nice, as promotion/relegation does add a little spice to their setup. They also do events packages at different price ranges, from children's parties to corporate and charity do's. They assign you a project manager and one of the higher priced tiers gives you the option of getting a full team kit for all of your participants - noice.
Rating: * * * * * * 6/7
Amazing venue with sound transport links, brilliant pitches, additional leagues, cups & tournaments and onsite bar. Only let downs are that it has 1 toilet, only does 5-a-side games and the goals are slightly too wide
PlayFootball - Shepherd's Bush
Powerleague - Shoreditch
Braithwaite Street
Opposite Shoreditch High Street,
London
E1 6GJ
Key Points: 4G, 5-a-side only, FootyAddicts
Location: Right outside Shoreditch High Street Station on the Overground, you can't really miss the venue. It's one of the more central based London sites, so driving to it can be difficult and I couldn't see much off street parking and they provide no parking.
Facilities: The venue itself feels a little unfinished if I'm being honest. I'm not sure if this is on purpose, or whether there's some sort of intended hipster cool about it's appearance. The surrounding area is most certainly trendy, with bars aplenty and that general Shoreditch vibe dripping from the walls. The main reception is a portacabin with tiny changing rooms and all the pitches are nicely spaced out. The area is quite spread out, so you have to walk about to find their onsite bar which wasn't obvious at first, we walked all the way around the Box Park wine bar venue before seeing it, but it's nice that they have bars for fans and players a like.
Pitch: 4G! Yep I know, this hasn't officially been sanctioned by FIFA, but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The issue I have here, is whether 4G is meant to mirror grass more closely or whether it improves the quality of the surface you play on. Send your answers in!
I thought the pitch better represented grass, with the feeling of slight bumps and a more soily underlay, as such, the step from TF trainers is a must. But it's important to state here, that I didn't necessarily think this hallowed 4G made the pitch any superior. I'll need to play here more as I played with TF Trainers, but I did feel a little more pain round my ankles and feet. But only in a minor way. It was an enjoyable pitch to play on, and we're talking fine margins here. The other thing to point out here is that the pitch although the same length as PlayFootball sites, was narrower, so if you like a more compact game, this is definitely something to look at and the goals are as perfect for 5-a-side that you can get.
Extras: Powerleague also have an array of leagues, cups and tournaments available, if you fancy adding a competitive edge to your games. They advertise on FootyAddicts like PlayFootball and also offer a lot more one-off tournaments, like payday Fridays, where you can enter a team for an entry fee, winners take all, which can be sizeable amounts.
Rating: * * * * 4/7
I'd like to know more about their "4G" claim to give you an honest opinion on the turf, as I felt it was a little uneven and bumpy but not much different to 3G overall, also the site felt a little untidy. But the location is perfect if you work in the square mile and want to have a longer drinks session afterwards and maybe tread the boards for a boogie later on. There's not a vast array of choice for central London footy, so this receives kudos for that.
PowerLeague - Shoreditch
Ark Academy - Putney
Pullman Gardens
London.
SW15 3DG.
Key Points: 3G, 7/8-a-side, FootyAddicts
Location: It's about a 30 minute walk from Putney railway station or 45min walk from Putney Bridge tube. It's also off the A219, yep, the same motorway as the one near PlayFootball haha!
London is strangely so interconnected.
Remember, Ark Academy is a school, who must sub-let their pitches out to Footy Addicts and PowerPlay (another competitor to PowerLeague and PlayFootball). It's not a dedicated 5-a-side footy venue so remember that. There's a small pub a couple of mins from the pitch and outside that, you would need to walk a fair way before you get to Putney station and a few bars and clubs there.
Facilities: It's a school, so they can't let all sorts wander around, as such, its pretty much the pitch you have and that's it.
Pitch: Jumbo loves it. Th whole pitch is probably slightly smaller than a full-sized 11-a-side pitch, but they half it in various configurations so that you can play 7-9-a-side games. It's not always consistent however, one week you might be playing on a small pitch, the following week it could be a larger sized one. The pitch itself is delightful 3G turf. Really high quality, so you're getting your moneys worth. A lot of Se7enistas have said this to be the best turf they have played on, but usually in comparison to PlayFootball's........Powerleague's 4G never seems to make it to the post match pint table.
Extras: Being an independent venue you'd think there's nothing on offer but they must have a contract with PowerPlay as they arrange 2 x 7-a-side leagues here. From their website, the league has been going for many seasons, so it's something you can rely on.
Rating: * * * 3/7
It's such a lovely turf, but it suffers as it's not a dedicated venue. As such, there's no reception, no footballing vibe or experience it offers you and your players. It's great to have a larger more expansive pitch to play on but it's a little out of the way from nightlife and transports links too.
Ark Academy School - Putney
Hurlingham Park - Putney
Pullman Gardens
London.
SW15 3DG.
Key Points: 2G, 5/9-a-side
Location: It's a 10 min walk, just off Putney Bridge (District Line) and short 40 min walk from Putney Overground.
Facilities: This is a council run park, so the pitches are just part of the wider recreational venture. There's a professional changing room but that's it.
Pitch: There's literally 1 largish 2G astro pitch, yep, the short pile, sand based type, so only TF trainers. It's enclosed within a peripheral cage, but there's no roof netting like PowerLeague or PlayFootball, so if you fire too high, you're at risk of losing your ball. What's worse, is that behind 1 end of the pitch is private property, so you lose your balls for good. The pitch is really poor too. I appreciate it is 2G, they aren't really good enough once you have tasted 3G but the upkeep was pathetic too. We paid over £250 for 2 hours which is steep for a 5-a-side specific venue, and the caretaker hadn't even set the pitch up, so we wasted time, moving heavy goals, and there was all sorts of debris like thick branches on the pitch. I twisted my ankle on one, it was that much of a safety hazard.
Extra: It's just a venue for hire, so they don't offer any offers, or extras. It was walking distance from our office, which is the only reason we chose it really. The only benefit is that it has goals and is sometimes open so you can play for free.
Rating: ** (1/7)
Not a great pitch and very pricey, given they don't even set the pitch up for you. But if you're lucky during the day the cage might be available for a free kickaround, that's all it's got going for it. It's a shame, if this is the state of public council owned pitches, it shows that those in charge simply don't care. The future of our national game starts at grassroots level, it's not good enough.
Hurlingham Park - Putney Bridge
Westway Sports Centre - Hammersmith
1 Crowthorne Rd,
London
W10 6RP
Key Points: 3G, 5/6/7/8/9-a-side, MUGA/Futsal.
Location: It's just off the A40 but the nearest tube is Latimer Road. Again it's walking distance from Westfield West London, Shopping Centre, 25mins. It's worth mentioning that Westway Sports Centre is just the other side of the flyover from PlayFootball - Shepherd's Bush, so we like to almost combine both these venues as one.
Facilities: Being a sports and fitness centre, it has professional changing facilities, showers and other functions. But being a sports and fitness centre; it won't have an onsite bar haha. But there's a security guard and a receptionist always available for help and FootyAddicts staff seem to be available here for some reason too, for a friendly chat. What is great about Westway is that it has a number of different pitches of different flavours for all your tastes. 5-a-Side, 6-a-side, 7-a-side, 8-a-side, 9-a-side. There's also a colourful bright blue MUGA (Multi Use Games Area) surface outside if you fancy a bit of futsal. ANNDDDDD.......a full sized 3G 11-a-side pitch with a small stand if you fancy bringing some cheerleaders along.
Pitch: 3G and a pretty sweet turf. One of the cool features of Westway is that most of it is under the concrete A40 flyover. Not by construction, rather through chance, but on a lot of the pitches, it doubles up as roof, so you're covered from the elements. Not entirely, and the drip from the motorway, must cause some sort of long term damage to the 3G, it's worth noting. We've only played on the 5-a-side and 6-a-side pitches, and they are different in size. All of them are, so if you fancy more expansive football, then size up. All of the pitches are available via FootyAddicts on most days so its really useful to have so many options available to you.
Extras: Because it's a Sports Centre, I couldn't see straight away whether they organise their own leagues, FootyAddicts only book a few pitches, so I'll investigate and update this post. But FootyAddicts have just started a 6-a-side league at Westway. FC7 played 2 teams from this league, in what became know as the famous "Massacre of Westway". Damn, I'd only just managed to erase that trauma from memory pfft.
Rating: * * * * * * (6/7)
It doesn't have much in the way of social scene and the area is quite residential, right opposite the tragic burnt shell of Grenfell Tower. But the venue itself, is amazing, loads of different pitches of different sizes of good quality 3G turf, add the serendipitous flyover roof and you're nearly in perfect territory. Alas, when we speak about venues, it's the whole package and the lack of entertainment isn't perfect, sure it's near Westfield, but sometimes you just want a pint and packet of crisps to chew the fat with your mates, and you can't. Hence just missing out on a perfect score for Westway.
Check out the multitude of pitches at Westway....and the flyover roof
Powerleague - Nine Elms; Battersea
130 Thessaly Rd,
Nine Elms,
London
SW8 5EJ.
Key Points: 3G, 5/7-a-side, Indoor 3G pitches, roof top pitches
Location: This is lovely venue, but very awkward to get to. It's off the A3205 true, but quite a trek from from 2 relatively quiet stations (Queenstown Road & Battersea Park). It's in a leafy area of Battersea, but the venue itself is a top notch Powerleague site.
Facilities: Where as Shoreditch is quite kitsch, the Nine Elms facility is more professional and marquee, it's advertising what 5-a-side footy can be. There's several indoor 3G pitches, which is quite a unique thing in London and they have 5/7-a-side pitches available. The building seems quite small, but the pitches and facilities are stacked on top of each other. The middle floors hold the indoor pitches and on the roof there's a couple of 5-a-side ones, with brilliant views of London. Lemme, just re-iterate, the indoor pitches, are exactly the same as outdoor 3G pitches, so boots etc. Not to be confused with indoor court pitches. So if you fellow ballerz are fairweather ones, this venue could help with your weekly numbers during winter.
Pitch: The pitches are similar to Shoreditch, the "alleged" 4G. I'm still not convinced, to me it feels like grass, which hasn't been mown for a while. I'm probably exaggerating a bit but my point is that if your advertising 4G, then you need to have something to show, otherwise it's just a gimmick, which is fooling people. DO I NOT LIKE THAT!
Extras: Exactly the same as Powerleague Shoreditch and PlayFootball, though there seem to be more leagues on offer here. I saw at 4 x 5-a-side leagues with most having 2 divisions, 1 x 7-a-side league and a Women's 5-a-side league too. They also do corporate events, bubble football as well as tournaments you can sign up to during the year. I'd say Nine Elms probably has the best "extra package" of all the venues.
Rating: * * * * * * 6/7
This venue is really nice, it seems to tick all the boxes, it only really lacks in terms of location, which can be tricky for a lot of people to get to. Outside of that, there's a couple of nice pubs nearby as well as the onsite venue. The other issue here, is that it is very popular. It doesn't have a vast number of pitches, so it can be hard to organise a game off your own back and Footy Addicts don't have many games here. But when you do play here, with the views, the indoor option, great bar, it can be a memorable experience. It's what 5-a-side is all about! It's also scene of FC7's victory over John Lewis FC.
The beautiful roof top bar and pitches plus the airy indoor turf, Nine Elms has it all
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