Jun 9, 2026 · 46 min · 15 segments
Mike Melvin is the Founder and Managing Director of 3v3 UK, one of the leading organisations driving the growth of small-sided football across the UK. Through his work with clubs, leagues, County FAs…
Mike MelvinGuest
Paul BarryHost
So, so firstly, Mike, I'm interested in your, your passion for small-sided football.
You mentioned there obviously, um, you've played previously, uh, you've coached, uh, your son, who now I imagine is what, 15, 16? So he's played 3v3 for a large part of his football life already.
Where does your passion for small-sided format football actually come from, though?
Just seeing that involvement that all the players get, and obviously it's grown over the years.
We were big into futsal, um, and 3v3 was like the, you know, the, the smaller version of, of futsal to me, especially the way we did it to start with.
Um, and that's always been, like, part of my coaching philosophies, are you're going, "I wanna see exciting players.
And in, in 3v3, at both end, you know, the, the top end of what we see with players and how they can excite them, but then also at the, the lower end, or the, the beginning for, for some players, they're just involved in the game.
The amount of people who, or kids over the years, whose parents have said to me, "They've scored the first goal today at 3v3." And I get to be part of that, that journey, and that, you know, when everything's going wrong and rain's coming in sideways, and I see that kid, that smile on their face, that's where, like I say, that keeps me passion, passion going.
Like I say, I know many people would love to work in, in football, and yeah, I get to call it my job and talk about 3v3 with people like you all, all day long-
Yeah, it's not bad, is it, to be able to call this, this your job, and what you do every day, and, and working, uh, in line with what your passion is in life.
Um, I think when a lot of us consider and think of small-sided football, we think of younger players.
Those perhaps, you know, five, six, seven, maybe around that sort of age, age phase.
Um, but I think it's important also that older players continue to play the small-sided game, or revisit it from time to time.
So why do you think it's important that players of all ages, and stages indeed, play the small-sided game, and don't just go into 11 v 11 and never look back?
So, so firstly, Mike, I'm interested in your, your passion for small-sided football.
You mentioned there obviously, um, you've played previously, uh, you've coached, uh, your son, who now I imagine is what, 15, 16? So he's played 3v3 for a large part of his football life already.
Where does your passion for small-sided format football actually come from, though?
Just seeing that involvement that all the players get, and obviously it's grown over the years.
We were big into futsal, um, and 3v3 was like the, you know, the, the smaller version of, of futsal to me, especially the way we did it to start with.
Um, and that's always been, like, part of my coaching philosophies, are you're going, "I wanna see exciting players.
And in, in 3v3, at both end, you know, the, the top end of what we see with players and how they can excite them, but then also at the, the lower end, or the, the beginning for, for some players, they're just involved in the game.
The amount of people who, or kids over the years, whose parents have said to me, "They've scored the first goal today at 3v3." And I get to be part of that, that journey, and that, you know, when everything's going wrong and rain's coming in sideways, and I see that kid, that smile on their face, that's where, like I say, that keeps me passion, passion going.
Like I say, I know many people would love to work in, in football, and yeah, I get to call it my job and talk about 3v3 with people like you all, all day long-
Yeah, it's not bad, is it, to be able to call this, this your job, and what you do every day, and, and working, uh, in line with what your passion is in life.
Um, I think when a lot of us consider and think of small-sided football, we think of younger players.
Those perhaps, you know, five, six, seven, maybe around that sort of age, age phase.
Um, but I think it's important also that older players continue to play the small-sided game, or revisit it from time to time.
So why do you think it's important that players of all ages, and stages indeed, play the small-sided game, and don't just go into 11 v 11 and never look back?
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