Back of the Net: ClubFootball 5-a-side Returns!

China ClubFootball and the Beijinger are both a healthy ten years old, but only one of us can make any real claim to be healthy. ClubFootball has been at the forefront of Beijing grassroots football – getting the city's men, women and children, both local and foreign, to play the beautiful game. Meanwhile, we've been encouraging you to go to bars and restaurants. One nil to ClubFootball. The spring season of their Men's 5-a-side Leagues kicks off next month and they are looking for new teams and individuals to sign up.

The new season will be contested by 96 teams. The tournament runs from Tuesdays to Thursdays in the evenings at Chaoyang Park, Side Park, and now also at the 798 Football Park. With 12 divisions, there is definitely a standard for everyone. If you want to get involved, be quick about it. The deadline is Friday, February 24th.

If you've not got enough pals to make a new team, you can always join Team Beijinger. We're always looking for new players. (Just to clarify, we mean for the football team in the ClubFootball league. This is not a really vague job ad.) If you'd like to play with us, all you need to do to be eligible is confirm that you are available on Wednesday evenings and tell us who won the last World Cup. Send your answer in an email to win@thebeijinger.com. We'll be in touch with all the entrants very soon.

Photo: CaughtOffside