So you think you know everything about football? Did you know the likes of Deco, Ronaldo, Stuart…read moreDowning and Falcao all have played Futsal in their younger days before becoming professional? From playing Futsal I guarantee you it's why they are so good on the ball. So what is Futsal? It's an indoor non contact football game that uses heavy size 3 balls and hockey goals. Teams consist of 5-a-side and can have unlimited subs. The pitch actually has out of bounds and can be over heard height. @Futsal is, as far as I know, the first dedicated futsal centre in Wales to pop up and does have an international sized pitch. Normally there are 4-5 pitches running at any one time and feature 3 league divisions a night, everyday, 7 days a week for anyone to create a team and join in. You can also hire the hall out if you so wish for a kickabout. There is a bar inside, male and female changing rooms and several TV's showing football on constantly. It is a cracking place to play and as a lover of Futsal I really would spend allday everyday here. Check it out if your into your football it'll adhere to your love of the game like it was the first time.

This is the place where a lot of toothbrushes are made, hence the name "Bristle City", and people…read moreare also a little unfriendly. Actually Bristol is actually becoming the party capital of the UK (ish) and definitely of the South West. It's a really young and up and coming city which might be why they didn't support me at all at my concert here, lol, but then again I was very late. First-Hand Experience: I was lucky enough to see Bristol Rovers play at Ashton Gate against Bristol City, so I got to experience the famous and rabid local derby. It was actually a pretty friendly derby, but I loved both teams and I have an affinity with City. Their fans are loud and passionate and I am very glad that I was able to see such a famous game live and in person. Bristol City is the more successful and "bigger" of the two Bristol teams in my opinion, and is my preference. Their stadium is better, they are doing better at the moment in the third tier, and a long time ago they were league runners up (1907) and FA Cup runners up to Man U (boo Man U). But they've never won either of the big things, and for such a big city, you have to hope that with their enormous new stadium that's being remodeled on the site of the old one (Ashton Gate) that they can get back to the big time. Until they do, they'll stay at 4 stars for underachieving, but they're a very good side indeed. All of the reviews on here are pretty much for the stadium (and trashing it, no less), so they should be moved to the stadium listing which is separate.

Come on, lets build a bit of support for the *Ahem* mighty City!…read more The 21,000 seater stadium might not be as impressive as many others, and Ncky Maynard might not be banging in the goals that we would expect him to after his record transfer. But it is the City's big club... unless your aleagence is with rovers, even then though their a whole devision bellow city! You can't beat a saturday afternoon cheering the pride of Bristol as they beat middlesborough 2-0 against the odds (or loose 6-0 to Cardiff infront of the home fans! you've gotta take the rough with the smooth!) Come on, lets bring the pride back and get behind the City massive!

Gôl is Wales's only home-grown 5-a-side company, launching the country's only first purpose-built…read morefootball facility in Cardiff a few years back. Since then it has opened a second centre in Newport and both have floodlit outdoor 5-a-side courts and a 7-a-side pitch and a clubhouse with changing rooms, hot showers and a licensed bar showing live matches on LCD and High Definition screens. There's also plenty of car parking available on site. The pitches use special rubber crumb infill, which makes them look and feel like natural turf but without the problem of getting waterlogged when it's been raining heavily - or getting rutted when the weather is too dry. It's a completely different story to astro-turf. It's popular with works / corporate teams and other teams who can book the pitches, or individuals can join the centre's own leagues to play if they are not already in a team. Most players use the centre on a weekly basis by playing in league games or as part of a block booking, although they do also have some courts which can be booked week-by-week as a one-off.

Gol football centres provide both 5-a-side and 7-a-side football pithces on the revolutionary '3G'…read moresurface. The innovative surface plays similarly to real grass, with the rubbery ground a massive improvement on 'astro-turf' which was formerly used for all weather sports pitch around Britain. With pitches available for private hire, this complex features a large car park, modern changing rooms and a smart bar area with flat screen televisions and comfortable seating. Perfect for friends, work-mates and team practice sessions, Gol charges competitive rates for hourly hire of its pitches. Gol also provide leagues on every day of the week, with most days having 4 or even 5 divisions of teams. All matches are officiated, with results and fixtures updated on the efficient website. A very good centre for those looking to pay 5-a-side football on a regular basis, as well as for those needing pitches for one-off hire.

If there is a difference between your car and a Welsh person's car, that's known locally as a…read more"Cardiff." The "Cardiff" is a big deal in Wales, where vehicles are status symbols, and the closest thing to religion are the Manic Street Preachers at the Millennium. First-Hand Experience: I've never been crazy about Cardiff City, I did really like them from time to time but things come out in the wash about the owners and managers and you know... plus they've always had a bit of a violent element in the fan groups. Still I do like a lot of their fans, so it's a mixed bag. Here is the deal though. I've now seen them play at home on two occasions and it's a really energetic intense experience in their new lovely stadium. I'm giving them a 4 despite the qualifications, and will be going back for another experience at some point soon. Okay so this team is a truly amazing team, a Welsh institution, full of hooligans and passion, full of intensity and strong emotion, but they're currently going through a bad time. It should have been the best time, but it didn't work out that way, sadly. They finally achieved promotion to the Premier League, but the owner that got them there (Vincent Tan) turned out to be a bit of an a***, tried to change their colour, their name, their badge, their traditions, and then fired their manager when he was doing an amazing job keeping them in the Prem. They dropped like a rock and were relegated and are still suffering from the whole experience. Add to the mix the fact that Swansea, their eternal rival, achieved the Prem earlier, and stayed there, and are still there, and CCFC fans are understandably bitter. The owner has finally put their kits back to blue. He's a fool, really. Formed in 1899, they were league runners up in 1924 which was the closest they ever came to real glory. Very close. They also won the FA Cup in 1927 which was their biggest ever achievement. They were FA Cup Runners Up as recently as 08 and League Cup Runners Up to Liverpool in 2012. I'm going to give them four stars, because even though they're a fantastic team, with huge support, they have underachieved, and they do have hooligan elements, and the owner is still a bit of a fool. He's getting there, but he needs to fix the badge and get the team back into the Prem to appease the fans.

Goals Brislington is one of many branches of 5-a-side football centres across the UK but is…read morepossibly one of the only examples of a chain where each branch has an individual flavour. Located in the industrial area of Brislington it'll take a dedicated team driver to get you here for your game every week, particularly when you have and early kick off, when the traffic is bad and the pre-match tension is running high. Although the area isn't the most picturesque and the football crowd isn't the most cultured, Goals in Brislington has been home to some of my best and worst moments since living in Bristol. There are leagues running each night of the week, with six divisions running in each league, so you should be able to find one that suits you. As you can imagine, there are plenty of wurzels-esque accents, swear words, men with highlighted and greasy hair and more diamond earrings than you could shake Jeremy Kyle at. But the whole atmosphere and competition makes for a great weekly event to carry out with your mates. There are 12 floodlit 3G astro pitches bustling with 40 minute games each night. The standard is high and the games are often angry, so anyone looking for a jolly kickabout with jumpers for goalposts will be a trifle disappointed. There's also changing room facilities and a bar with big screens for you to enjoy the real footballers before, in between or after your game. They also run a site for you to check up on results and your league tables after the match. It's about £36 each week, so it's good to get a few subs down each week to spread the cost. The car park is also a potholed disaster, so drive slowly. If you want a real treat, get down on a Wednesday and catch my team Dream Bisons FC as we storm up the Bundesliga tables. We'll probably be winning some sort of trophy or something.

Memorex is a crappy type of videotape, so it makes sense that the Mem would be kind of a crappy…read morestadium, but it also has its charm, and it will be missed. It's annoying that BRFC are moving yet again, as they move all the time. First-Hand Experience: More info about my personal experience at this stadium - I've been to both Bristol stadiums and they are both great places to watch football. However this one is run down and badly in need of an upgrade, so it makes sense that they may be moving. I was last here in 2007 for a match, although I've visited since then. It was a good and bad time. The fans are great and loud and vocal. The stadium is run down and decrepit. I've been to most UK & US stadiums, due to lifelong obsessions with travel, sport & especially footy (soccer to Americans). Born & raised in England, I followed Oxford United (hometown team) to stadia all over the country at away games, and later Liverpool (fave team) around. Every stadium review - like all my reviews - are from first-hand personal experience, usually from several visits. In 2011, I was on music tour in the UK, and visited most stadiums for fun in my spare time. As recently as Fall 2014, when I was "stuck" in UK for 3 months, I went to hundreds yet again while travelling. I have pictures of me at most, which I'll post later. Also, when back in UK I'll take more pix, and add more stadia! *** return to regular review *** Soon, Bristol Rovers may not be playing here any more. Known as the Mem, holds 12k, 3k of which are seated, and is rumoured to be closing down as BRFC move to their fancy new stadium, but that hasn't officially happened yet.

The memorial stadium, the smaller of Bristol two stadiums, is home to Bristol Rovers Football Club…read moreand Bristol Rugby Club. With a capacity of 12,100 it's quite a bit smaller than Ashton gate, but still manages to deliver a good atmsophere (in part, I think, because it's easier to fill out) both on days that football's played and rugby is. The DAS stand is the most impressive of the four in my opinion, housing the corporate boxes. It feels a bit like a cricket pavilion, and all four stands are slightly different from each other, making the ground feel like a bit of a hodge-podge. Worth knowing that the away stand isn't covered, so it can be a bit of a miserable experience if the weather's not very nice. Also should mention that the Blackthorn stand isn't seated. This makes for a better atmosphere but is a bit of a killer on the legs if you're not used to it. Being in the West Country there are pasties on offer. These are only £2.20 (very cheap for a football ground) and highly recommended. Drink cider to be really authentic. The memorial ground isn't particularly pretty but is a good ground where you'll can enjoy a game of football or rugby.