Newmarket is getting a new weekly sports league to enjoy: foosball.
Newly opened Wayside Tavern on Main Street is launching a charity foosball league today, with proceeds going to the Newmarket Food Pantry. The league will see competitors of the tabletop soccer gameplay weekly, with prizes and trophies for the winners.
Owner Omar Saer said they wanted to find a way to spotlight and help different charities. Foosball is a game with a broad appeal and is easy to play, letting people enjoy themselves while doing something good, he said.
“You can’t get too mad at it. It’s a silly game with a silly name, and I have not met a single person who doesn’t have a good time,” Saer said.
The league will see two-person teams square off in the game, also known as table soccer, involving rotating pieces to hit a ball into the opposing goal. It has a $20 buy-in going to charity, with food donations for the Newmarket Food Pantry also encouraged. Red Thread Brewing is sponsoring the league.
The tavern plans to run foosball seasons regularly, each season donating to different charities around town. Saer said it is a way to help good programs amidst difficult times.
“Just the way the world is with inflation, programs being cut,” he said. “The people we’re targeting, smaller individuals doing good, we want to really try to push and promote and help those people be the best they can.”
The league will aim for 12 or 13 teams, but Saer said they could add leagues based on demand. He said there will be flexibility, with substitutions allowed. People can sign up for this first season beyond today as they pilot things out.
It is a game with a nostalgic appeal, Saer said.
“Everybody played it when they’re younger,” he said. “The moment they touch the table, it’s always laughter.”
The league will run Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at Wayside Tavern, located at Main Street South and Botsford Street.
