Success and Survival: A New Era for London Helvecia

“Nobody thought we’d finish where we finished. We've got absolutely nothing to lose going into this game - absolutely nothing.” 

These are usually the words of underdogs, but in this instance, they’re those of RantsnBants, newly-appointed owner of England’s most successful futsal club - London Helvecia F.C. 

Helvecia’s season has been turbulent, to say the least, with a period of uncertainty seeing off-court issues spill onto it.

Rants took over the helm as the club was on a collision course, set to sink to its darkest depths and never to be seen again — revealing that at the point of acquisition, the club was “a few hours away from folding” with many players “disillusioned with what was going on.”

But as he admits, the ambition was “to always have a team in the top tier.” So despite the difficult task that lay ahead, he remained determined to steer them back to where they belong, and he’s on his way to doing so. 

From the moment we hopped on this call, he cuts a confident figure, to a point where it feel infectious, his words carrying as much vigour 150 miles away as they would if he were next to me.

We’re catching up a few days from Helvecia's first leg against long-standing London rivals Bloomsbury, who sit on top of the tree heading into this weekend. Usually, you’d feel slightly nervous facing league leaders, but Rants could not seem more relaxed about it. He's breezy; aware of the weight of the fixture but placid about its pressure.

“It's all on them [Bloomsbury] for the first time. We have nothing to lose, people don’t expect us to win and I think that can bring a different level out of us” — and as I’m writing this, he wasn’t wrong, Helvecia coming out as 6-3 victors in Sunday’s game. 

It wasn’t a surprise. After all, they’ve been here time and time again. The club has long been the standard bearer for English futsal, and Rants indicates a willingness to keep the same attitude that has earnt them their previous success. However, a new era means new ideas, and part of that for him was to establish a feeling of longevity that would prevent them from encountering uncertainty as they previously had done. 

Ridding the club of its mercenaries was a brave but bold step, the international influence that usually saw them through to the end of the season being something he saw “no point in”. “Even if these guys are really good, and could be the difference with us within the league, it's a short-term fix. I’d rather bring in younger players and build a team that's going to compete and be at the top level here for many years.”

He has no doubts that England has the players to compete with those abroad but reveals the struggle of enticing them to prioritise futsal over other endeavours — a sentiment undoubtedly shared by many clubs across the country. 

“We’re constantly competing with football” - the looming presence of futsal’s larger-sided counterpart offering players what futsal can’t — money. “Even if it's not the highest level of semi-pro, these guys are getting a good amount of money. So it’s very difficult, especially if they pick up a knock on Saturday and can’t play on Sunday.” 

“There’s money for football, so there’s definitely money for futsal; it just has to be packaged correctly. The earlier you introduce it to children the better because right now we’re seeing a generation of players learning about it far too late - especially if you want to compete with other countries”. 

At the moment, he feels that the “FA are failing people” — citing futsal’s qualities in advancing football in this country, and believes that the relationship can be “what karting is to F1”. But alongside that, he identifies another issue that is limiting the sport, and that is its disconnect concerning diversity and representation.

“I want to bring it [futsal] back to the streets because right now it feels like a middle-class sport [...] not a lot of people look like me or come where I come from.”

It's an interesting observation, especially when considering how the game looks at the very top. History shows that before its dissolution, the England futsal squads were often made up of nearly all-white players; and at times featured no players from BAME backgrounds.

The impact of this becomes apparent when you look at the current generation of emerging talent in futsal, a fitting reflection of whom the sport is actively appealing presenting opportunities to at the top level.

For example, only one (8.3%) of the 12 selected for the recent U19 Futsal Euros in Italy was from a BAME background.  Compare that to the 11 of 21 (52.3%) who represented England football's U19 squad at the Euro '22, and it highlights the fierce disparity between the two.

But why is this the case?

Well, it's similar to the issues present in women’s football. Limited opportunities for previous generations have fed into the current, providing a lack of role models and leaving many feeling unrepresented and subsequently disinclined to engage with the sport. It's not the fault of one person, nor is it an indictment on the futsal community; instead it all tracks back to a lack of investment at a grassroots level, something that has only been emphasised in recent years...

In the wake of the pandemic, the FA decided in 2020 to revise its budget, a change that shockingly saw futsal lose nearly all of its funding — stunting growth in what was an incredibly hopeful period. It was a strange move, considering England's involvement as the emergency host for Euro 2020, a change that actually saw profits be increased in the years that followed - as per Doug Reed.

Yet, clubs and players were financially burdened in the hopes to keep the momentum going, and as a result, top-level futsal — logistically and financially — has become increasingly inaccessible to many people up and down the country. 

So how can they tackle this issue? Well, for Rants, it’s simple. 

Investment.

“They're [the FA] kind of getting away with not investing in futsal at the moment because the demand is not high because people are exposed to it so late. Ultimately, the higher the demand is for the sport, they can't ignore putting money in.”

An upturn in investment will indeed widen the game's reach and offer pathways to the top level for people of all backgrounds, but with the FA showing little to no interest, it’s hard to see the end goal for futsal in this country.

Investment in women’s futsal proves that if you build it, people will come. See, when Rants took over Helvecia, he not only oversees a successful men’s team but an incredibly talented women’s team too, who are also at an advantage heading into their play-off second leg. 

Top-flight futsal in England is in a unique position whereby the existing system largely provides parity for men and women: equal coverage, same venues, same referees, etc. It’s something that Rants believes this country can “lead the way with”; by providing equal opportunities where other sports fail to do so.

He wants to fulfill that goal, making the sport more accessible for a richly diverse generation of potential stars. And while futsal has a collective of younger players who are also fans, the lasting impact of that won’t be felt for a while yet.

Until then, everything needs to be done to embrace the current generation while nurturing the future - with Rants hoping they “look at my players the way football fans look at their players” as that is ultimately what “gets more people playing the sport.”

For Helvecia, their collective sights remain fixated on the end goal — glory. It’s what has made them the club to fear over the years, and despite early setbacks, they enter their new era in the hopes to make their mark on English futsal yet again.