An afternoon at a Chairman's Shield football match between GNG FC and Barlestone St Giles is not something that I would usually do on a Saturday. Saturdays are usually spent studying but more probably watching football or maybe shopping. However, I was looking forward to my first ever trip to the Leicester City Women's training ground in South Blaby, and my outing had resulted from a conversation with a work colleague, whilst attempting to earn some student money stacking baked beans in the local supermarket.
During the mind numbingly dull 'facing up' process at the end of a particularly mundane shift, Jeevan told me about his involvement with GNG (Guru Nanak Gurdwara) FC, which is a club with a long and proud history that stretches back nearly 40 years. Although their roots are in the Guru Nanak Gurdwara, their club is an outfit for any person who enjoys playing some skilful football. There are three teams who play in the local leagues as well as a successful junior section. After making enquires around the local area, I began to get a sense that GNG FC has quite a decent reputation, so I was interested enough to come down and visit to see what this footballing outfit was all about! If you take a look at the website, you can get to know the history and achievements of GNG FC. The site is pretty impressive, and provides everything for the aspiring footballer including nutritional information, photographs of their recent matches and tours, and even a quiz. However I was honestly not expecting a lot from this football operative. I had descended into a bad mood whilst I attempted to discover where this football ground actually was in the maze of shop-lined streets that is known as Blaby. My various experiences of amateur football usually involved jumpers for goalposts, muddy pitches, limb severing tackles, joke referees, and ego maniacs who still had aspirations to play at Old Trafford or the Nou Camp rather than Victoria or Knighton Park. What was so special about GNG FC that would make me change my mind about British amateur football? It had to be something pretty special. | "I was told to expect the playing ability of Shaun Wright Phillips, Ronaldo and Rooney when the team entered the pitch." | | Tim Sansom, Guest Contributor |
For a start, GNG FC is a FA Football Charter Standard Club. I was watching the second team and their plaque from the FA proudly stands above their dressing room, which contains proper showers and even a Mike Basset-style whiteboard for the manager's tactical rants. As I sat in the changing room and talked to the players, who were sporting a whole range of replica shirts from Juventus to Leicester City FC, I was impressed by their competitive, focused and passionate approach to the game. I was told to expect the playing ability of Shaun Wright Phillips, Ronaldo and Rooney when the team entered the pitch. Whilst waiting for the referee to turn up to kick off the game, I talked to Vardeep and Jasdeep who assured me that I was not going to watch Wimbledon circa 1988 or Watford circa 2006. A GNG team would play the ball on the floor and use the wings too. Jasdeep and Vardeep also know their football! Our conversation consisted of a rant about what went wrong for England in THAT match against Croatia earlier this month. Although having been born and raised in Leicester, Jasdeep comes up from Orpington in Kent to play for the team, which shows the prestige of the club in the minds of Leicester people! I sat in on the team talk in the changing room, whilst the manager ran through the tactics for that afternoon's game.
GNG play in a Coventry styled Sky Blue kit, and the players changed as Jeevan's brother launched into an intense description about how he wanted his team to play. Arrows were drawn across the board to highlight the 3-5-2 formation that would change into a 3-4-3 line up in attack. It was impressive stuff, and the squad accepted the result without any fuss as they rushed out onto the pitch for their warm up. I headed briefly for the stands. I was impressed with what I saw. GNG FC is not a casual outfit in which eleven blokes from a particular temple meet up for a kick around on a Saturday afternoon. The club is something more than that, but it still maintains a friendly atmosphere in which there is plenty of friendly banter bouncing around the dressing room. GNG FC training takes place on Tuesday evenings at Beauchamp College in Oadby. If you enjoy playing serious, competitive football then this probably is the club for you. | 
