Football is mandatory for the English!

Ahhhhh the beautiful game.  What Englishman doesn’t love football?  It’s in the blood.  I spent the first 26 years of my life believing myself to be utterly apathetic regarding football until one day I caught myself fiercely defending the virtues of José Mourinho.

The American I was talking to observed that I seemed to know my stuff, and I was forced to confront the fact that, by simple osmosis, I had absorbed a remarkable amount of football knowledge.

Yes I had given in to the siren song of the great game, and I have no regrets.  And surrender was sweet – suddenly I could spend up to an hour watching Zlatan highlights as happy as larry.

A great year to get into Football:
Europe is going football crazy this year.  Here in Amsterdam there has been a big spike in tourists trying Amsterdam Bubble Football day events, and even the simple charms of 5 Aside Football Amsterdam events are being widely lauded as the best way to spend a day in the city.

Forget the madness of the Red Light Districts and the high-cultural exhibitions of the Hermitage or the Rijksmuseum.  The coffeeshops and the clubs can wait.  This is the summer of football 2016!
The year of the great upsets.  Leicester in the premier league!

Wales’ unbelievable triumphs in the Champion’s league!  This is the time to attempt to emulate the spectacular feats of our heroes!

Amsterdam is going Football crazy:
Amsterdam is getting with the theme of the summer.  The bars and pubs have been packed with happy tourists enjoying the great games, and tour and holiday companies have been promoting football related events like never before.

Some of these are original ideas like Amsterdam Bubble Football, a fast paced five aside game with a twist – each player is encased in a zorb bubble suit.

Mayhem is guaranteed, and it’s undoubtedly one of the best outdoor activities on offer in the city.  But perhaps the most popular event this year is the 5 Aside Football Amsterdam.

5 Aside is the classic weekend football event:
Yes this year when confronted by the pleasures of Amsterdam, from its sultry vices to its intriguing high culture exhibitions, thing in most demand is a football and a bit of space to kick it around.

Tourists are flocking to the Vondel Park and Amsterdse Bos looking for nothing more complicated than a few hours in the sun with their friends and a football.  There is something irresistible about the glorious simplicity of 5 a side.

It recalls the halcyon days of you childhood when the goal was painted onto a convenient wall and play was routinely suspended for passing cars.

It lacks the demand for organisation of bigger games – it’s more personal somehow.  The best word to explain the popularity of 5 aside isn’t English, but Dutch – it’s gezellig.

There isn’t a clear way to translate this word, it really means good times, a great vibe, a relief from the stress of life.  That’s the real of 5 aside, and football in general – its tied to some of our warmest memories.