Derby Futsal are in high spirits this season after finishing their season top of the league and clear by six points.
After what has been an incredible season for the Rams, they now look ahead to the play-off in hopes of being promoted to the Futsal Tier 1 league.
Head coach Matt Hardy was so happy for his lads as he said: “They deserve this, I’ve watched them put in all their hard work in week in and week out that I’m so glad it paid off for them.”
Club captain Matt Richardson also praised the team. He said: “I’m beyond proud of the lads, everyone put a shift in this season, and it paid off for us.”
Derby finished the season only having lost two games this year which is the best performance the team have had.
Unlike football, topping the league doesn’t gain them automatic promotion as the team will have to go intro a group play-off against the three other top teams.
Hardy said; “It’s annoying not being able to get promoted straight away, we’ve won the league so what else should we have to prove?
“I would much rather have the football rules, I’ve been in and around this league now for years and I’ve seen teams not get promoted after they’ve won the league and that really shouldn’t be the case.”
Derby goes into the promotion play-off with Wessex Futsal Club 1sts, London Genesis Men 1sts and Reading Royals Futsal Club.
3️⃣ weeks
3️⃣ games
1️⃣ aim 🎯Hands up, who’s as excited as these two about the @FA_NFS promotion play offs starting at the weekend?! 🙋🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/w6Antq8obP
— Derby Futsal Club (@derby_futsal) May 8, 2023
They all go into a league together and whoever wins that league will then be promoted.
Richardson is very optimistic about their chances. He said: “We have nothing to worry about, if we play like we usually do then we’ll smash the play-off and go into tier 1, the league we should be playing in.”
Despite the optimism, Wessex is a team who have played in Tier 1 and have been relegated this season so are fighting to stay in the league.
For Hardy he knows the challenge that he’s up against saying: “Look I’d love to be optimistic and be confident that we were definitely going up but I’m very aware that it won’t be that easy.
“Wessex are going to be tough, but I know that the lads are prepared to go out there and play the best futsal they can.”
The play-offs will be played over the course of the next month and Derby Futsal will hope to take that jump to Tier 1 next season.
