New addition to Cork's Marina Market menu - street soccer
DOWN OUR STREET: Derek Coughlan and Denis Behan at Soccer Street in Marina Market
Amid the vast menu of street food temptations at Cork’s thriving Marina Market, there’s now a tasty new healthy option — street football.
Or Soccer Street, as it’s branded. A sizeable corner of Cork’s most colourful warehouse is now home to a collection of ‘air pitches’, with inflatable perimeters housing small-sided games.
The soft launch took place a fortnight ago on Champions League final day. With music pumping, graffiti keeping it street on the walls, and plenty of ice-cream on hand to refuel, it was the perfect stage for hordes of delighted young ballers to forget their 4-3-3s and keeping their shape and just unleash their creativity and showcase their tekkers. As well as the croquetas and roulettes and one-twos on display, there was a fine collection of elaborate goal celebrations.
🎥 Last weekend we soft launched 'Soccer Street' at Marina Market ⚽🔥
— Full Circle Football Group (@FullCircleFG24) June 6, 2024
We will host our first Soccer Street 3v3 tournament on June 15th to coincide with the start of the Euros..... details to follow🏆 pic.twitter.com/p6b0biFazJ
This Saturday, the Market hosts its first official 3v3 tournament in the air pitches, with competitions for boys and girls in a range of age grades to celebrate the start of Euro 24.
One of the people behind the new venture is Cork football institution Derek Coughlan. The Cork City great recently left his position at the FAI to join the Full Circle Football group with his old City pal Denis Behan and UEFA A licence coach Tim Mawe. Full Circle operates 3x3 Ireland, the Coerver Coaching franchise in Munster and also sells the popular Bazooka Goals.
“Myself and Denis have kept in touch over the years. We’ve plenty in common, same birthday, though Denis claims to be a small bit younger. And we both got FAI Cup final winners for City. I was in my job at the FAI leading women’s and girls football in Cork, Denis approached me about joining the group and I felt this was the right time to move. I just saw the potential impact we can have, and we all have the passion for it.
"We are delighted too to have Brian Kerr on board as a brand ambassador and he will be there on Saturday at the tournament.”
Derek’s place at the coalface of youth coaching made the opportunity obvious. The way kids play has changed utterly.
“Playing football on the street or the park provided my generation and the generations before me with so many hours with the ball. Just that contact time with the ball that’s so invaluable. Pure enjoyment. The way the world has gone, it’s not that way any more. It’s happened with all sports. It’s not organic any more. Those all-day games between one estate and another are gone.
“In 2024, nearly all contact time is through structured football. And the onus is all on clubs to put on extra sessions. They just can’t do it all on their own. They don’t have the pitch space and it’s hard to get the volunteers.”
This generation is still in love with the sport so the result is a thriving industry in add-ons to what grassroots clubs provide. Performance academies, one-on-one coaching, football camps.
Coughlan insists this venture is as much about fun as development.
“With bigger numbers and open space, the beginners often don’t get a touch. In this format, everyone interacts with the game, everyone is contributing. There’s no shouldering, no slide tackling. And because we use the futsal ball, it’s on the deck, not flying up around their faces. That takes the fear away for some kids.
“In all of the schools we visited, teachers commented that children who usually opt out of sports activities got stuck in and really enjoyed the sessions. It's just a very inclusive format where every player can play at their own level.
“A lot of coaching these days is quite structured. Adults sometimes get in the way of kids’ enjoyment. And that creative element to solve problems isn’t always there. With this, it’s about being creative, tight spaces, taking people on. That Patsy Freyne knowhow and confidence on the ball. As Cruyff said, let the game teach them.”
Coughlan might have left the FAI for the private sector, but keeps a close eye on the bigger footballing picture here. He sees much that can be done to get children playing more. And fully backs his old employer’s ambition to switch football to a ‘summer season’.
We speak on a sunny morning, the intoxicating smell of cut grass wafting in from empty pitches. “Look at the weather outside. After the winter and spring we’ve had, with so many matches called off. The pitches are just becoming beautiful now and we’re finished. The season is over. It’s like a bad wind-up.
“There has got to be a seachange in what we are doing. Even for the volunteers, how much easier would it be to attract people to the side of pitches in their shorts and sunglasses than shivering through the winter nights? Think about sustainability even, no need for lights.
“And then do something else in the winter. Use halls. Futsal has to be a bigger part of our football future. I always say, we should bring footballers in for the winter, like cows. But this time of year, they have got to be on the grass.”
There is a political push right now by the FAI to attract financial backing, but perhaps the rhythm of the season will dictate how investment should be spent.
“All the astros being put in everywhere, I’d love to see that money go into good sand-based pitches. And into clubhouses. Look at the social structure the GAA has. Clubhouses, club bars, that give people nights out, a reward for volunteers, a sense of belonging to something. Our volunteers have to emulate what they do, but don’t have the social rewards. All we have in so many soccer clubs is WhatsApp and the side of a pitch.”
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