Letting their fingers do the playing... football craze from years gone past kicking in across Derry

A new craze is sweeping Derry which could see the resurgence of every football fan’s favourite past time from years gone by – table football.

A group of football fans In the city have started up a brand new table football league and already silverware has been handed out.

Set up only six weeks ago, and mixing tournaments with leagues on a fortnightly basis, the Derry City Table Football League holds its meetings in the Derry City Social Club in Crawford Square, and numbers are already growing.

Not only that, but word is travelling fast about the new league, so much so that the club has welcomed players from Letterkenny and even Belfast in recent weeks.

Martin Og Bradley is the man behind the new craze and he expressed his delight at the success of the league so far.

He said: “My brother bought a Subbuteo set for his wain and we used to play years ago ourselves so we decided to get a wee league going among ourselves,” he explained.

“It’s two months now since we started it and it’s grown from there. We had boys from Donegal who contacted us and he in turn knew a boy in Strabane.

Then, in our first meeting, we had a boy come down from Belfast. He even booked into a hotel to stay over. But then I beat him.”

With each game lasting around 20 minutes, the players could be kept busy for hours, but for those involved there’s no better way than spending a night out – for some, it’s just as good as the real thing.

“The craic is great,” he added. “There are ten regulars at the minute and we meet every fortnight. We want it to grow in the New Year and for as long as we can. We have a league going every two weeks and then a tournament every two weeks. Anyone can turn up for the tournaments. It lasts a good few hours when it’s on but the craic’s ninety.”

Earlier this week, the League held its first ever Christmas Cup, an event won by Letterkenny man

Brendan Rodgers, who defeated Martin 4-3 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw.

It’s still early days for the League, but the New Year could see them on their travels as other leagues continue to pop up throughout the North West.

Bradley explained: “Brendan is from a Donegal club but that hasn’t been active in years. That might change come the spring however and then we could travel down to him. There’s talk of something being organised in Belfast also so we could be travelling up there. It’s something to look forward to.”

For more information visit Derry City Table Football Club on Facebook or contact Martin on 07875246904.