Sports from a new guy.

mattio85 · Post by **mattio85** » 21 Mar 2009 01:54

Hello, my name is Matt and i'll be moving from Washington, USA to Sydenham as of the 27th of March. Ill be here for a year working as a service learning volunteer. I was curious as to any football leagues or friendly skirmishes played in the area, and where abouts I would go to sign up(look) for them? I've been stuck in an area thats received record snow fall and cold this year and i'm anxious to get outside and start getting active again. I was also curious as to whether basketball was played much or at all in Sydenham, and if there are public courts at parks and such? I've done some general searching for such forums addressing these topics but I thought i'd just make a friendly post myself, for this will be my first trip across sea's and i'm quite excited.

Thanks again,
Matt

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » 22 Mar 2009 15:33

Hello - there might be something on at the Crystal Palace sports centre - might be worth checking. If it's the American variety of football you're interested, I think that there is a team based there. Good luck with everything.

mattio85 · Post by **mattio85** » 22 Mar 2009 16:43

No, i mean the soccer football. American football is a brutish sport. I hear theres lots of 5 aside leagues, I just dont really know where to go to look.

Matt

sophie · Post by **sophie** » 22 Mar 2009 21:48

I am pretty sure there is Basketball in Crystal Palace and Football at the Bridge Leisure Centre in Lower Sydenham.

Gaz · Post by **Gaz** » 23 Mar 2009 00:34

mattio85 wrote:No, i mean the soccer football. American football is a brutish sport. I hear theres lots of 5 aside leagues, I just dont really know where to go to look.

Matt

Hi Matt - welcome to Syd! Are you moving from DC or Washington state?

Yeah, there are literally 1000s of 5-aside football teams in London that play in mostly competitive leagues (usually in the evenings - & some at lunch - most days of the week -- 11 asides are usually on weekends).

You'll find that most companies, pubs, churches and general neigherbourhoods/areas/groups of friends set up 5 aside teams. Not sure where the league pitches are in Syd, as the places I work for in the City played more centrally. However, there are the Powerleague pitches at Catford (which is not far away at all, but IMO the pitches aren't as good as other sites): http://www.powerleague.co.uk/centre/CAT.html

And I'm sure there are other leagues that cover Syd itself - as mentioned above, probably at Crystal Palace (oh, a mate of mine plays for the Penge Family Church who compete in the "Bromley and Croydon Christian Football League" which is a local 11 aside league, if that rocks your boat).

Good luck!

Gaz

Nickerbockers · Post by **Nickerbockers** » 26 Mar 2009 18:51

Wow, welcome to our shores and to sunny (not so much) Sydenham! Hope you love it.

lambchops · Post by **lambchops** » 26 Mar 2009 21:47

there's some football played behind the sainsbury in east dulwich, if that's any help?

Gaz · Post by **Gaz** » 27 Mar 2009 00:25

Isn't that Dulwich Hamlet's (and Fisher Athletic's) home ground?

Or are there also amateur pitches there (or have I just been whooooooshed!?

)?

paultreacy · Post by **paultreacy** » 27 Mar 2009 07:58

My family and I recently moved here to Sydenham from Manhattan. I don't know much about football though. I presume you're referring to soccer?
Good hunting.
Paul Treacy
http://sydenhamshots.co.uk
http://photohumourist.com

lambchops · Post by **lambchops** » 27 Mar 2009 13:08

Gaz wrote:Isn't that Dulwich Hamlet's (and Fisher Athletic's) home ground?

Or are there also amateur pitches there (or have I just been whooooooshed!? )?

no idea, sorry! just drove by...

fishcox · Post by **fishcox** » 27 Mar 2009 13:12

It is indeed where the mighty Fisher Athletic and Dulwich Hamlets play.

If you have a tenner to waste, it's as good a place as any to do it on a Saturday afternoon.

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Sports from a new guy.

Sports from a new guy.