Intramural Football – Warwick’s Answer to Sunday League

Continuing to take throw-ins despite having suffered a broken thumb while grinding out a 0-0 draw against French Mafia on a rainy Wednesday night on Tarkett, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe Chris Nott as the embodiment of Warwick’s intramural football. HistSoc FC’s player-manager has successfully guided three teams to the upper echelons of their respective leagues, which are now organised by Warwick Sport, in which societal and hall teams battle it out to be crowned ‘best of the rest’. This, all in the face of assertions from team mates that he’s no more than an “ok player”.

Despite finding himself donning a Guardiola jacket on the side-line post-injury, I’ve noticed that early season promises of an experimental 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 have disappeared into the mist.

While not being able to pick out a single most influential manager upon his own tactics, Chris identifies 4-2-3-1 as his preferred formation, although he sees this interchanging with a 4-4-2 depending on the context of the game. Despite finding himself donning a Guardiola jacket on the side-line post-injury, I’ve noticed that early season promises of an experimental 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 have disappeared into the mist. Chris admits to being somewhat ‘traditional’ in his methods.

“If the ball’s on your side as a full back, you’ve got the full right to go forward, but the other one has got to stay back…perhaps that’s a bit outdated.”

This may seem a bit too heavy on the tactical side for what is essentially social football to the naked eye. But, with only four university football teams not able to cater for the hundreds of trialists, the standard of matches is often high at intramural level and players like myself are keen to take games more seriously than just a kickabout. To many, such as HistSoc FC attacking midfielder Dominic Baker, intramural football is their sole opportunity to play 11-a-side football at university. “HistSoc FC is a good laugh and a great opportunity to play at a competitive and high standard.”

As the freshers are predominantly  studying History, the team has become a strong social base for many.

Keen to avoid an overabundance of university players and a team picked based on who you were mates with, HistSoc FC held their own trials this year advertised through the subject’s society. With an “army inspired” warm up and a promise to ban players for three matches for turning up to games hungover (a joke which flew over some of the freshers’ heads, including my own), Chris regrets initially presenting himself as a tad dictatorial and insists the side still operates on a primarily social basis.

In fact, as the freshers are predominantly (although not exclusively) studying History, the team has become a strong social base for many. Chris claims this to have always been his intention, although the presence of a Sociology fresher on the team’s wing who is “too good to let go” and, in Chris’ words, a “better version of Rhys” somewhat contradicts this.

It’s testament to his focus on team social cohesion that, after a bit of Harry Redknapp-esque ‘wheeling and dealing’, HistSoc FC line up with kits sponsored by Kasbah; an institution he describes as the “holy grail”. Having first fallen in love with a Monday night out in Coventry as a fresher, Chris reveals that since moving to Leamington, “distance has only made the heart grow fonder”.

Providing competitive football with inter-subject and inter-hall rivalries abound in a similar fashion to a university level outfit; intramural football at Warwick should be celebrated.

Although HistSoc FC clearly prides itself on its socials, there is no doubt that this aspect of intramural football is present in other teams. Providing competitive football with inter-subject and inter-hall rivalries abound, as well as acting as an important side to my and many players’ social lives, in a similar fashion to a university level outfit; intramural football at Warwick should be celebrated. Here’s hoping that term two brings more of the same.