For most of us it seems like only yesterday that the eyes of the world were on South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. For others, the few weeks’ break feels like they have been starved of the planet’s most popular sport.

The wait is over though and Abu Dhabi is firmly leading the charge on football – not just in our Emirate, but across the entire nation.

This season Abu Dhabi Media Company began broadcasting the English Premier League across ten dedicated sports channels. With 64 goals in the first 20 games – four of which ended 6-0 – coupled with the continued big spending of Abu Dhabi’s very own Manchester City (currently boasting an investment of AED 740 million, and riding high on a 3-0 demolition of Liverpool on Monday), it looks as though football fans in Abu Dhabi are in for an exciting EPL season.

But what of live football? This weekend sees the start of the UFL, the UAE’s professional league. With a huge base of football fans watching games broadcast from around the world, it’s a bit surprising that attendances for live football are still relatively low. With four teams in Abu Dhabi – Al Jazira, Bani Yas, Al Ain and the current League champions Al Wahda – it’s not as if there isn’t a choice.

The new backroom team at last season’s UFL runners up Al Jazira has launched a fantastic new initiative to boost attendance, increase support and open its gleaming 45,000-seater stadium to as many Abu Dhabi residents as possible. As you may have noticed, this week’s issue included an Al Jazira FC half-season pass that will get you into every home game up to the end of December at absolutely no charge.

What’s more, when you attend your first game with this pass, it will be exchanged for up to five free full-season passes – no need to miss any home game from the Al Nasr match on Friday 27th August right up to the last home fixture against Al Shabab in May. Add a good cup run, and that’s over 25 live games for free!

So is Abu Dhabi becoming a hub for football? Well, with the region’s EPL broadcast rights here, some of the world’s best players in an Abu Dhabi-owned team, the local league dominated by all four of the Abu Dhabi Clubs and Al Jazira opening their turnstiles to all for free, it certainly seems that way. As if that’s not enough, in December the UEFA Champions League winners Inter Milan will be here for the FIFA Club World Cup – and they could face local team Al Wahda FC.

Football for all! Enjoy and embrace, but please – no vuvuzelas!