A BRAND new state of the art five-a-side football centre has been opened in Southampton to cope with the growing demand for the sport across the South.

VIDA, a leisure company mainly dedicated to five-a-side, now have eight high tech 'rubbercrumb' pitches at their new centre on Milbrook Point Road, Milbrook which opened this month. The centre also has changing rooms with saunas and steam rooms, a sports bar, function room and children's party room.

In only its first week of business, VIDA have already registered 150 teams in leagues. Their first competitive tournament had 24 teams in the 18-plus category, the biggest opening of all of VIDA's 12 centres in the UK.

Dean Hogan, director of VIDA's Southampton centre, believes the success is due to Southampton being a "hotbed for five-a-side" with several leagues competing for players. He says VIDA aim to introduce new people to the sport. All ages and abilities are welcomed. VIDA is also launching a ladies' league for which ten teams have registered.

Pitch Invasion, another national organisation which runs five leagues in Hampshire, including three in Southampton, as well as Basingstoke and Portsmouth, attribute their success to the fact that a team can register unlimited players. They are also allowed rolling substitutions during matches.