A futsal team have been crowned national champions - after a chaotic build-up to the season which saw the club’s owner walk out!

London Helvecia - including their Kent contingent - saw off Bolton 10-4 in the Women Super Series Tier 1 play-off final.

Emma Tune, the founder of Ashford-based Tune Into Futsal and part of London Helvecia ladies’ side, said: “At the start of the season, we weren’t in a great place.

“The owner walked out four days before the start of the season and we were a bit in limbo.

“Helvecia men’s team actually ended up folding but we managed to continue, with the girls paying membership fees.

"We did a fundraiser last year and managed to get a few sponsors.

“Obviously, we’ll be in a similar situation with regards to that this season. Playing-wise, we weren’t doing too well early on in the season because there were a lot of changes and stuff.

“Then our head coach, Enrique Guillen, who we had the previous season when we reached the final, came back on board around November-time.

"He helped us a lot with sponsors and that side of it.

“We then went on an unbeaten run after he came back. We finished second in the league, qualified for the play-offs and made the cup final.

“But we ended up having to play Birmingham four times in a month from the start of May!

“We played them in our last league game, we actually got them in the play-off semi-finals and we won all three of those games to qualify for the grand final. But we lost the cup final to them.

“I think that gave us a bit of grit between our teethes for the final because, actually, we deserved something from the season. In the final, we played Bolton and we won 10-4. That was on TNT Sport.

“I don’t know the exact figures but we got an email the other day and it was the most watched futsal game - even out of the men’s games - so that was quite interesting.

"It was a really good end to the season.”

Tune and Tune Into Futsal colleague Charlotte Gurr have been in camps for England’s new-look ladies’ team, as has goalkeeper Alicia - Emma’s younger sister.

Sasha Adamson (5), Larissa Viera (3), Carla Muriel and Natalia Dubek were on target against Bolton, with the play-off final being shown live.

“It was all right,” said Tune. “We had been on TNT before, they had done a few games.

“But it’s a little bit more of a boost for a lot of players because you know people are watching, you want to play well and just show what futsal is about.”

But with escalating costs, the ladies’ team find themselves needing more financial support again for the new season and will be holding a fundraising event at Ashford’s Stour Centre, Station Approach, this Sunday.

Tune said: “Hopefully, we will get a good number of people down - new people, as well, who don’t really know what futsal is.

“We’re just trying to spread the word and raise some money for the season. If we can do that, that’ll be good.

“Just financially, I think it’s very difficult for clubs at the minute, with costs increasing and stuff like that.

“Because it’s a national competition, some of the games are quite far away. A lot of them, especially for us who live down this way, it’s quite a way.

"A lot of them are stayovers and that’s quite a big expense.

“But, obviously, we’re in a good place on the court.

“We just need to make sure that we have got support behind us so we can continue to perform and, hopefully, have another successful season.”

Futsal is a sport the Tune family in particular have been engrossed in.

Emma noted: "I have played for quite a few years.

“Alicia is only 20, so she’s sort of grown up with it. She attended the youth sections and has carried on since.

“As soon as she was 16, she started playing for Helvecia.

“She’s doing really well with it, which is good.”

And Tune is hopeful the introduction of England women’s futsal side will help attract even further interest into the sport.

She stated: “I think it definitely will, especially with the World Cup qualifiers happening in October. There will be quite a lot around that.

“For young players coming through, it gives them something to work towards.”