Street Soccer Nations Cup in Dundee: All you need to know

By Matteo Bell

July 27 2022, 11:02am

Street soccer players from across the world will play at City Square in Dundee over the weekend.

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE QUEEN.

Dundee hosts the first-ever Street Soccer Nations Cup this weekend.

Teams from across the world – featuring male and female players – will be competing in the event, hosted by Street Soccer Scotland.

City Square will be transformed into a mini stadium between Friday and Sunday (September 9-11) for the tournament.

That will include grandstands, a four-a-side pitch, food stalls and an entertainment stage.

The Change Centre – in the former Lynch Centre on South Road – will also become a player village.

We have full details ahead of the event.

Who is taking part?

Organisers have confirmed that male and female teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Sweden and Ivory Coast will take part in the event.

Street Soccer Scotland will also be entering an Afghanistan team selected from one of the charity’s programmes, along with a Ukrainian women’s team.

The Scotland women’s team – front row, left to right: Natisha Robertson, Natalie Fella and Eilidh Anderson; back row, left to right: Jennie Thomson, Selina Edward, Sophie Bailey and Kirsty Oliphant.

Some of those taking part are doing so having turned their lives around following challenges such as drug addiction and bereavement.

What will be the format?

The tournament will feature group stages before two separate knockout rounds.

Groups for the competition will be announced during a draw on Thursday night.

Each match will last 14 minutes.

When do games take place?

Friday

The first match kicks off off at 11.30am on Friday, with Scotland taking on another men’s team in group one.

It will be followed by seven more group-stage games, before a Dundee United v Dundee legends match at 2.45pm.

Another eight group games will then be played, with the last game finishing at 5.45pm.

Saturday

Saturday will open with eight more group matches, the first of which kicks off at 10.30am.

The men’s and women’s Scotland teams with Councillor John Alexander (far left) and sponsor Peter Lawson (Burness Paull Foundation) far right.

The competition will then split after 1pm, with the bottom teams competing for the shield and the top teams competing for the cup.

Eight knockout games will be played on Saturday afternoon, with the last one finishing at 5.40pm.

Sunday

The last eight games of the tournament will be played on Sunday morning.

The first game kicks off at 11am, with play ending at just before 2pm.

Do I need to book tickets?

No – games will be free to attend, with spectators able to just turn up on the day.

What entertainment will be on offer?

At 1.10pm on Saturday, DJs from Turn the Tables – a charity which teaches formerly homeless people how to DJ – will perform a 20-minute live set.

The act will be followed by 20-minute acoustic sets from singer/songwriters Rianne Downey, Connor Fyfe and Be Charlotte.

Callum Beattie will perform on Sunday. Image: Jason Hedges.

On Sunday, another DJ set will be performed after the final game, and an unnamed special guest will speak before trophies and medals are presented.

Scottish singer-songwriter Callum Beattie will then perform a 40-minute set.

The site will be closed to the public at 5.30pm.

Why is the Nations Cup taking place in Dundee?

According to Street Soccer Scotland founder David Duke, Dundee was chosen for its strong connection to both the charity and football.

He said: “We’ve worked in Dundee for 10 years and we know that Dundee, like a lot of cities, has its challenges, but it’s about what we can do to help it.

“Being able to see the city centre come to life will be amazing.”