Ex-Premiership referee, and now star pundit for ITV and BT sports, Peter Walton, has praised the ISF for staging undoubtedly the best small sided football tournament in the world.
Walton, who attended the event as a guest of ISF, and worked as an analyst on some of the big matches, said “Going to Germany for this 6aside World Cup I really didn’t know what to expect. But to see a stadium built in the very heart of a big German city by the ISF, and then see it packed with thousands of people every day, and thousands outside who couldn’t get in, was an amazing sight, and created a terrific atmosphere”.
“Not only that, the standard of play was very high and I would also like to compliment the tournament referees who did a superb job in what was a hot and challenging week”.
The World Cup is the premier event in small-sided football globally and attracted 44 national teams.
Mr Walton continued, “You have to say that in the world of small-sided football everything else just pales into insignificance. This is the only serious organisation and serious event that there is in small sided football globally, and it is terrific that the UK’s number one suppliers and largest operators of small-sided football, Leisure Leagues, have so much influence, and have put so much money into the event”.
“I also want to congratulate the German organisation. You always expect it to be super-efficient, but with the huge crowds which attended every day, they really did do a fantastic job throughout the week to produce the most stunning spectacle of small sided football the world has ever seen”.