LondonTown.com | World Cup 2006 in London

Where to Play

With the gargantuan festival of football invading our hearts, minds and TV screens for a full month - it may actually persuade some of us to round up a gang of mates, pump up a ball and head out for a game ourselves. Luckily, London is packed with places to play.

If you fancy the idea of football but don't have quite enough people (or the fitness), five-a-side could be the game for you. Intricate pass and move is the aim of the game, with power no match for precision. Check out the pitches at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, one of the Goals Soccer Centres at Wembley and Wimbledon. or the Westway Sports Centre.

When the sun is shining and you're feeling energetic there's nothing better than getting a few grass stains, attempting some long range passing, and banging the ball into the top corner beyond a flailing goalie. There are plenty of full-size grass pitches for hire in the capital too. Check out the turf at Wormwood Scrubs (020 7736 1735), Brockwell Park (020 7733 4285) and Parliament Hill (020 7284 3648).

Of course, you don't always have to be quite so organised. There are plenty of perfect spots for "throw-a-couple-of-jumpers-down-as-goalposts" action. LondonTown.com's suggestions for each of the cardinal points are as follows:

North - Regent's Park
East - London Fields
South - Wimbledon Common
West - Hyde Park.

These are all great venues for a summer get-together with your mates, maybe a picnic and a couple of beers, and then it's time to line-up in two teams and dream you're Rooney, Ronaldinho or Riquelme.