{"id":47628,"title":"Cheshire FA's 'Elevens' League - A new way to play 11v11","description":"Cheshire FA are pioneering a new way of playing 11-a-side football which is helping to boost grassroots football participation. Read more here.","content":"

In recent years we\u2019ve seen a decline in the numbers of participants in traditional 11-a-side adults football on a Saturday and Sunday. With people\u2019s lives becoming increasingly busy, many simply don\u2019t have the time to\u00a0sacrifice a large chunk of their weekends to getting wet and muddy in a field all in the name of the beautiful game. Instead, more and more are opting for the more convenient forms of the game such as midweek five-a-side. The advantages being shorter games, midweek fixtures, fewer players to organise and being able to play at the same location every week.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

This is an issue which is all too familiar to Cheshire FA. Over the last 12 months alone they have lost a worrying 47 11-a-side teams, with 2 Sunday leagues folding as a result. Not wanting to lose the traditional form of the game completely, in 2016 Cheshire FA took positive action and started their first midweek \u201cElevens\u201d league. The new format is designed to form a hybrid between the purism of playing the 11-a-side game with the convenience of 5-a-side.<\/p>

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Advantages of \u2018Elevens\u2019\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>