BBC feature Robbie Williams Soccer Team


Robbie gets his kicks in LA
Robbie Williams' football team LA Vale FC have started out in an over 30s league in Los Angeles. We went along to see if the footballing gods are smiling on them in the City of Angels.
The football team that Robbie built - LA Vale FC - are starting to cause a stir in Los Angeles.
Originally formed in 2005 from a bunch of local lads and ex-pats who used to have a kickabout at Robbie's home, LA Vale have finally got their season underway in a little-known league.
LA Vale v O'Brien's gallery >
The LA Premier League is based in the Santa Monica area on the west side of Los Angeles. It's predominately an over 30s league (although teams can field the odd younger player) and non-profit making so any money generated goes back into the running of the league.
Games are played on an artificial pitch at The Crossroads School. The pitch is a little smaller than normal - but for the older players, it suits them just fine!
Promoting fair play
The league promotes fair play. There's no slide tackles allowed and it's more about having fun. It's for players of varied ability who love to play football.
Robbie (wearing the number 3 shirt) looks very comfortable at left back while best mate Jonathan Wilkes (number 8) plays in the centre of midfield and certainly looks a very accomplished footballer.
While the games are competitive, to be honest it's a fairly low-key league. But with Robbie around, the local paparazzi have been poking their long lenses through the fences and crowd attendances are beginning to swell.
Three teams formed the league in 2002, but with the addition of Robbie's LA Vale, there's now 11 competing for the title in 2007.
The league has teams from players all around the world. The Cock 'N Bull - an ex-pat bar in Santa Monica - is made up of mainly Brits. But there are also teams with players from Romania, Israel and South America.
Friendly local rivalry
One of the teams is actually managed by a guy from Stoke-on-Trent. Richard 'Trix' Taylor is in charge of O'Brien's. Originally from Knypersley, he moved to LA in 1994.
Richard thinks that the introduction of LA Vale can only benefit the LA Premier League: "To be honest, Robbie's been great for the league. Of course he's raised the profile - which can cause a few problems - but he's also helping to improve the standard.
"His team have already raised the bar and we're all going to have to recruit better players to compete. In the end, it'll probably help the league to continue to grow."
Trix (as he's known to his friends) is on the board and one of the few guys who run the league. He's also a Stoke City fan but he doesn't let Robbie's Vale sympathies get in the way of their relationship.
"I guess that because I come from Stoke, it's good for him to have a local friendly face to deal with when there's any problems.
"Of course, it's feels a bit weird if you think about the fact that it's Robbie Williams on the other end of the phone. But at the end of the day, he's just another manager in the same league. And that's the way he likes to be seen."
For more on the Los Angeles Premier League and to follow the progress of Robbie's team, you can click on the link below:
LA Premier League >

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