Want to take up a summer sport that is a fun way to meet new people? Ever thought about playing football but don’t want the argy-bargy competitive football is known for? 


Bill Davies had this dream when he created sub football and now he wants you to give it a go!


Sub football was created as a mixed, men’s and women’s sport – it is about to kick off its 14th season in Auckland and launch in Hamilton before going nationwide.


Davies is a former soccer player and coach who began playing at primary school level in Liverpool. He developed Sub football to encourage more people to kick a soccer ball around without the fear of being taken out by another player.


“I ran seven-a-side soccer when I came to New Zealand and the behaviour of some players left a lot to be desired,” says Bill. “It’s hard to get newcomers to start a sport when players are engaging in dangerous shoulder-barging and yelling at referees.


“The main difference between sub football and association football (soccer) is that the laws of the game do not permit players to use force when taking or attempting to take, or keep, the ball from an opponent. Players who indulge in referee abuse, violence, serious foul play, spitting at another player or official, or racism, are banned from participation.”


Bill says sub football has its own set of laws that allow absolute beginners to play and evens out the playing field – the game attracts men, women, people as young as 15 and people up to the age of 60.


“The people who play sub football are friendly, accepting types. Just ask the Melbourne Rovers, the gay and lesbian team over in Australia. They have a range of different people from the gay and lesbian community playing against teams made up of workplaces, family and friends and the like; they never have any trouble and love the sport.”


Sub football was first played in the Auckland Domain and spread across the region. Last year some 300 teams played 2100 games on 50 pitches and over 400 teams are expected to compete this year. 


Bill Davies has taken the game overseas to Ireland, Australia and the Pacific Islands. In Dublin a newspaper sports editor put him in touch with the famous Home Farm Football Club and he ran competitions there for two summers. There will be 32 teams competing in Melbourne this summer. 


This season the game will also be played for the first time in Hamilton and Davies is setting up competitions to go nationwide next year. 
For more information about the game visit www.subfootball.com.