Edinburgh University’s five-a-side football league is an accessible, light-hearted competition for students. Barney Crawford, a player in the divinity team, is a passionate advocate for the somewhat dwindling underdogs, striving to leave his team a legacy by calling for both numbers and improvements. The future captain is willing to step into any role demanded – goalie, goal scorer or boxing champion – to reinstate Divinity’s place as apex predator among the five-a-side football teams. He also seeks to inspire new recruits, ensuring that the team has the determination, teamwork, and resilience to reclaim their position in the competitive league. This is what happened when we spoke to him:
<Could you talk a little about the Divinity team and why it’s important to you?>
“So, we take part in a league. It’s a five-a-side intramural sport (within the university) and played in a cage. The only player allowed in the D are the goalkeepers, and conversely, the goalkeepers are not allowed outside the D. As well as that, the walls are in play, so you can bounce the ball off the walls. There are no referees. We meet every Wednesday and Friday and play against a variety of different teams.”
<Would you say it is quite relaxed?>
“I would say it’s quite relaxed in the sense that there’s not much at stake, but obviously there’s always the passion of the game which tends to fuel people into some quite fierce rivalries. We’ve had our fair share of moments. I remember at one point last year getting tackled – quite a crunching tackle – from behind, and, last semester, one of our team actually got punched by a member of a different team and a slight brawl broke out.”
<Would you encourage others to join, and what is your favourite thing about the league?>
“I would always encourage others to join and the reason is because of the social aspect arguably the most important aspect. I’ve met so many new and interesting people that I would never have otherwise interacted with. I’m also a massive football fan so it’s lovely to have the opportunity to get outside and kick a ball around.”
<How would you say your team in particular has progressed or changed over the years?>
“This is my second year in the team, and probably the most notable difference is the lack of numbers. I’ve heard from members before my time that at one point the school of divinity was fielding two teams because they had too many. It’s been quite firmly on the decline since.”
<Do you think it’s possible, then, to restore divinity football to their former glory?>
“I think it’s definitely possible. This outlet has been underutilised by the School of Divinity and other teams, and I think the teams really suffer for it. There’s real potential for an amazing thing if the schools support their teams more by just getting the word out there.”
3rd generation synthetic grass 5-a-side football” by Soft Surfaces Ltd is licensed under CC BY 2.0.