Could you start by telling us a little about your background such as if you were you a sporty person when you were younger, and how long you had a break from playing sports before you got involved with Walking Football?
I manage our Saturday reserves team and have coached a youth team at the club for 6 years so when I heard WF was gaining popularity I took it on to start weekly sessions every Monday at LSFC, we began in July 2018 & only had 7/8 players each week at first but gradually as word spread more joined up to try it. We lowered the age to 40 and over & this attracted more, now a year on we regularly have 20+ players each week.
Can you let the readers know about your Walking Football sessions in regards of which age group are they for, are they male only, female only or unisex sessions?
Our sessions run for an hour every Monday & are for 40 and over, unisex.
When you play a game of Walking Football do you play to the WFA, WFS or FA rules and why did your club decide to follow those rules of the game?
We play to the WFA rules, one of our regulars joined Norwich City’s WF team & he has regular tournament experience, thus he helped me use those rules which suit our resources at Long Stratton too.
Describe the buzz you get having the opportunity to play a team sport again at your age?
It has been truly rewarding seeing the enjoyment & camaraderie from the players who have begun playing this after often in some cases 20/30 years of not playing. We have 3 gentlemen over 70 years old, they look forward to playing every Monday evening!
Long Stratton Over 50’s team at Norwich Tournament
What one or two things do you currently do in your training sessions that you think are important to avoid injury?
We have a 10 minute warm up which involves every thing that the game involves, walking, stretching, passing, and more brisk walking.
Have you played competitive Walking Football, if so which tournaments / leagues?
Yes we have twice now participated in the Norwich WF tournament at the Norfolk FA Football Development Centre in Bowthorpe.
Do you feel fitter and healthier since you have started playing Walking Football and if please describe how?
I take the warm up & mainly referee but will participate when numbers aren’t even. Often over 2 miles worth of steps are covered in our games and this has benefited all the players.
Can you describe any injuries you have suffered when playing Walking Football and can you let the readers know how they were caused?
Very rare but has been a few players who have had a slight strain & been forced off the pitch as a result. This is nearly always caused by just a slight over-stretching of the leg to intercept a pass etc and thus caused the muscle strain.
Do you always have a club member present who has had first aid training at your games and training sessions, and is there a defibrillator available if needed?
Yes i am fully first aid trained via Norfolk FA. We also have a defib at the ground just 30 yards from the pitch in the changing room.
Our presentation social night
Has your social life changed since you started playing, and if so in what way?
This has arguably been the most rewarding side of WF for our members. We have some gentlemen who are retired, have recently moved to the area and joined us & socially they have made 15+ friends of similar age thanks to playing regular. We had a presentation evening recently at the local pub, helps having the landlord as one of our players! We had a players vote & awarded a player of the ‘season’ live music & a buffet & every player turned up and stayed all night, I was taken aback at the end to be thanked for helping ‘change the life’ of one player because not only has his social circle vastly improved but his fitness & general wellbeing. Bearing in mind the demographic of men of a certain age who struggle socially, mentally. This is a massive benefit of WF.
If you could sum up the benefits or enjoyment Walking Football brings you with a single quote, what would that quote be?
Life changing.
What are your best and worst memories of playing Walking Football?
Winning our first competitive games at the Norwich tournament this summer, we entered two teams, an over 50 and an over 65 team. The over 65’s did brilliantly, winning one & drawing two came within a win of qualifying for the semi-finals.
What do you like most about Walking Football?
Its a great game for players of any ability to still enjoy the beautiful game. I like the fact you can be both mobile or fairly immobile and still participate and enjoy it.
Long Stratton v Beccles Town
Do you find it difficult NOT to run and what advice could you give someone in how to remain at walking pace?
As a referee this is the biggest challenge, i am regularly pulling up players for ‘running’ and they say it is difficult not too especially when there is a 50/50 ball. A simple shout of ‘slower’ tends to work rather than blowing the whistle regularly.
What are your goals for the future when playing Walking Football?
We want to see it continue to grow which I am sure it will, many of our regulars are very local but we have others driving 15 miles to attend.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to play but is nervous about approaching a club or attending a Walking Football session for the first time?
Certainly at our club everyone who plays WF is very approachable & make new players very welcome, new players in 99% of cases become hooked!
What are the costs involved in order for you to play Walking Football for foot ware, kit and weekly session fees?
We play on a Multi Use games area (MUGA) which has an astropitch, trainers with a decent grip are essential! Any kit is allowed, some wear shorts others wear tracksuit bottoms, we supply bibs. We charge £2 per session but new players get first session free.
Author: The Walking Football
You create the memories; we help you relive them forever!
