‘AF has inspired us to try something new’ - The story of Peak FC

Following their first season, we caught up with Peak FC team-mates Iffa, Luciana and Kira.

Peak FC joined Alternative Football not quite knowing what to expect.

‘We started out as a very beginner team. For a lot of us it was the first time playing competitive football’, says Luciana, for whom access to football was limited in her home country Ecuador.

‘Women’s football is not as big of a deal in Ecuador as men’s football, which is massive. In high school I wanted to try but they never let us because they said it’s a men’s sport. The fact they restricted us made me want to play even more, so my friends and I started doing our own lessons on the side.’

This sort of get-up-and-go attitude appears to manifest itself throughout the team. Such was the speed at which they gravitated towards playing more football once they started.

Formed by colleagues from the AI firm of the same name, Peak were one of two new teams to take part in the third season of the Alternative Football league at Whalley Range Sports Centre.

They now play and train every week. At the start of the year, however, football was far from the top of the agenda at the office.

That was certainly the case for Iffa.

‘I never had any interest in football at all… I got into the game just a few months ago. We had a 5 a side group at work and would have a kickabout. Loads of us were new to it, kicking a football for the first time.’

Football was a way of keeping fit, making friends and learning a new skill. That’s what brought the AF League to their attention.

Kira is a keen runner in her spare time and enjoyed playing football while growing up in Russia. But even still, it was a surprise when plans were made to join AF.

‘One morning, Iffa came in and asked how we felt about joining a 7 a side league. We thought it was a prank or something. We’d only just started playing and we knew our level was low. She assured us it was super friendly so we thought ‘ok, fine, why not?’

Their first game, a 9-2 loss to Where’s Whalley, may appear disheartening on paper. It was anything but.  

‘After the first match - which we lost pretty badly - it was still a great feeling.’ 

‘It was quite nerve-wracking but everyone made us feel really calm’, says Luciana. ‘No one took it too seriously. They were all super encouraging’.

Fast forward eight weeks and, despite finishing bottom of the table, it’s clear when speaking to Peak that there were only positives to take from their first campaign. And in particular, the improvements they noticed in their game week by week.

Iffa is proud of their development both as a team and as individuals. ‘We finished bottom but we were improving every game. A challenge for sure, but it was fun! Definitely something to build on for next season. I’m excited!’

Is it now: friends first, colleagues second? It would seem so. ‘It’s made us socialise a lot more, we spend a lot of time together training and playing every week.’

On and off the pitch, Peak have benefitted from the leap of faith they took just a few months ago. Their enthusiasm and work ethic means they will continue to improve and work their way up the table. Season four at Whalley Range is around the corner, and we can’t wait to welcome them back!