THE POWERLEAGUE PLAYBOOK

1

Every friendship group or workplace has a leader. Could it be you? Your team needs you. Pick a league and a location and recruit like it’s Transfer Deadline Day. No one is off limits. You might start out as a team of misfits. But the potential is limitless.

2

It’s time to give this dynasty a name. Something appropriate. It’s yours. You own it. It’s a great time to remind yourself that Bayer Neverlusen and Ji-Sung Park the Bus will already be taken, and you can probably do better…

3

Set up the WhatsApp group. It’s your control tower, your media hub and your tactics clinic. Make sure your team knows all the rules for 5 a side, create your Powerleague profile and watch the goals and appearances rack up. But never the clean sheets. Download our app and keep an eye on our new Transfer Market feature. You never know when you’ll need it.

4

It’s matchday. Two friends inevitably drop out an hour before kick-off. They’ll apologise, but you know they’re no longer part of the team. You’ll be stunned by the speed and ruthlessness of the opposition. You’ll forget how many the other team scored, but remember that you loved it. The WhatsApp group hums with plans for next week.

5

It’s week nine. You’ve no points and a goal difference of 21-74, but the penny is finally starting to drop. The team looks sharper, hungrier. They know their way around the pitch like Titchmarsh on an allotment. Then, it happens. 9-9, a last-minute equaliser. The Powerleague bar doesn’t know what’s coming. There’s no looking back now.