26th September 2012

NTS RADIO’S MIX FROM FIVES 2012

FIVES 2012 sparked several questions about football, the like of which I hadn’t ever really thought about before (because I am not Brian Robson, Gazza or Tony Adams). How many cans of Red Stripe can you drink and still play? How many nights can you stay awake before the tournament and pass as fit? How many burgers can you eat at half-time and not be sick in the second half? This sort of attitude to football has been slowly weaned out of the modern game at the highest level, but on entering FIVES, I realised that the grassroots, jumpers for goalposts (even though we had some really expensive portable goals), boozey mentality is still going strong. If at least one player doesn’t pass out with a hangover, it probably wasn’t a proper tournament. Imagine Alex Ferguson trying to stamp out a drinking culture in the Sunday Leagues in the same way he did at 80s Manchester United? Running around, snatching cans of cold Jamaican lager from the grasp of BNTL‘s Ollie Olanipekun? Nah, mate. This is one place where people are still getting Man Of The Match awards and not remembering a thing, à la Gazza at Everton.

But, one thing I hadn’t ever considered before, and nor has Alex Ferguson, is what sort of music makes you play better football? With Boiler Room DJs, including NTS‘ Shane Connolly blasting out tunes all day, I began to see variations in styles of play. Garage and Grime inspire a ferociousness and determination, turning every player into a Crazy Gang-era Wimbledon player. It isn’t beautiful, but it’s effective in sporadic bursts and hard to play against. Disco inspires a sense of rhythm and finesse, prompting some beautiful football, but that dainty style may lack precision in the final third, like last season’s Arsenal. Then what of Chicago House and Detroit Techno? Well, this may have been responsible for seeing some great counter-attacking football. Rhythmic, reassuring, then quick and simple.

We asked NTS’ Shane Connolly to reproduce some of the magic from the day with a special FIVES inspired mix, including a host of tunes to help or hinder players in pursuit of victory. So, wrap your ears around this, and try to imagine how you’d fair in a game of football whilst having this pumped out aloud. I, for example, would most like to crunch some cheeky winger to Omar S. ENJOY.