Kian Gadsby
With the biggest annual match in the country coming to town, it is no surprise that Futsal is always one of the first events that UoN supporters draw their eyes towards when looking at the Varsity calendar.
The fast-paced game has been the pinnacle of the Varsity series in recent years. Last year UoN came from 3-0 down to snatch a dramatic 4-3 victory, while in 2023 the Green and Gold won on penalties after going 5-0 down in the most chaotic game Varsity has ever seen.
Those results have helped UoN to form a remarkable sequence of four victories in a row and establish a strong grip on the Varsity trophy.
However, this season has been a challenging one for UoN Futsal, and this year’s Varsity match will be the toughest they have faced in recent memory.
Following relegation from the Premier North, they initially struggled to adapt to life in the Midlands Tier 1. However, new head coach Mohamed Elmaghrbi took over the team in December and steadied the ship. The UoN alumni previously helped to found the Futsal club during his time at the university and has used his experience to inspire a transformation in the current generation.
The results have been immediate. After four wins from their last four BUCS league games, UoN climbed up the table into fourth and comfortably avoided the drop.
UoN’s recent run has been driven by an uptake in performances from their star players. Last year’s Varsity hero Sam Bunce has notched in each of his last four BUCS games, including a hattrick in the rampant 10-5 win over Leicester, while pivot Jojo Mills scored nine in their National Futsal League victory against Barrow and comes into this match having hit form at the perfect time.
Crucially, this run means the Green and Gold approach this game brimming with confidence that they can spring a surprise.
However, after a top-half finish in the topflight of BUCS Futsal, their rivals Trent come into this game as firm favourites.
Under the stewardship of new coach Jack Brumfield, who was captain of the squad last year, they recovered from an opening day defeat at Warwick to win their next five and sit in contention to win the Premier North league title for the first time since 2023 at the turn of the year. But a rut of three defeats from their final four, including a 16-2 thumping by eventual champions Loughborough, saw them fall off the pace and lose that blistering form ahead of the run-in.
They slumped to third, a distant nine points away from the title, before bowing out meekly to Hertfordshire in the National Championships quarter final. However, they will be desperate to recapture their early season form and snatch the trophy back across the city.
League standings often go out the window in one-off finals, and this match has all the ingredients needed for a classic upset.
UoN have both the form and the experience of getting over the line when it matters most. They have the momentum, and are experienced at getting results in the big occasion having arguably been underdogs for each of their last four Varsity titles. Each time they have had moments that the game could have run away from them.
But each time they rallied. Every time they came back when they had already been written off.
Now you can’t write them off. This is the toughest Varsity final they have played in recent memory, but nobody is counting UoN out of this one. Can they do it again, and defy the odds to claim their fifth straight Varsity crown?
Match Details
When? Kick-off is at 19:00 on Tuesday 28th April
Where? David Ross Sports Village
How to watch? Tickets are available online on the Notts Varsity website
Kian Gadsby
Featured image courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
In article Image 1 courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
In article Image 2 courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
