Background
On this page you'll find all of the background information about the Swamp
Soccer World Championships, Team England and our supporters
Loughborough Students Athletic Union.
Swamp Soccer World Championships
Last
year the Swamp Soccer World Championships became the biggest soccer
championships in the world with 264 teams competing from nations across the
globe. The Swamp Soccer Arena complex in Hyrynsalmi, northern Finland, hosts the
annual event with 15 swamp arenas (all varying in depths!). Besides the
extremely tough competitive swamp soccer games there is also a swamp skiing
shows and live music on throughout the competition.
In 1998, the very first Championships took
place since then it has grown so much that the Finnish FA are involved with
running the championships, the event being covered throughout the media on a
global scale.
For more information check out the Swamp Soccer website at:
www.swampsoccer.net
Team England
In the summer of 2002 former MyPa (Finnish Premier League club) player Jouni
Ronkainen visited the championships. There were many teams from across the globe
but not the nation that had invented the game of football, England. Since then
Jouni teamed up with freelance journalist and local football coach Peter Simmons
to put that right!
Team England were formed in 2003 with players based at Loughborough University
but with a range of experience throughout the professional and amateur game. The
team have started to build up their profile in the media and hope to bring home
the first major football trophy to England since 1966!
Loughborough Students Athletic Union
LSAU have given their full backing to Team England after a meeting with
Athletics Union President Stel Grekos. Loughborough University and its Athletic
Union has a large worldwide reputation for sporting excellence. For the last 25
years LSAU have won the British Universities Sports Association Championships at
a stroll. In fact England's last World Cup winner, Rugby Union Manager Clive
Woodward even captained Loughborough's Rugby Union first team during that
period!
Visit the Loughborough Students Union website for more information at:
www.lufbra.net