Alloa’s golden oldies are celebrating after their over‑70s walking footballers lifted the Glasgow Trophy, and stretched an unbeaten run that now spans 16 months.
Seventy‑year‑old coach Richard Sinclair, who oversees Alloa Athletic Walking Football Club, has been involved in the club’s walking football set‑up since 2017 and says the latest success underlines the quality in their senior ranks.
“At the end of the day, it’s the quality of players you’ve got – and we have a particularly good group of 70s,” he said.
At this year’s Glasgow Trophy at Toryglen, Alloa entered teams at over 65, 70 and 75, with the over‑70s side emerging as champions after an unbeaten run through a gruelling day of fixtures.
On April 8, they won three and drew one of their four league games to top their section, then cruised through the knockout stages with a 5‑1 victory in the quarter‑finals and a 4‑0 win in the semis. The final went all the way to penalties after a late deflected equaliser, but the men in white held their nerve to win the shoot‑out 3‑2 and bring the trophy back to Clackmannanshire.
Sinclair admits the “16 months unbeaten” statistic in over‑70s competition sounds bold given they play monthly rather than every week, but he is proud of the consistency his group has shown.
He believes the strict walking‑football rules – three‑touch limit, no running, ball kept below bar height and minimum contact – are crucial in keeping older players safe, especially when some of his squad are in their late 70s and beyond.
The club trains three mornings a week at the Indodrill Stadium, and have teams in the age brackets of over-50s, 60s, 65s, 70, and 75s. Despite this, Sinclair says there are only around 25 players, many of whom turn out in more than one category.
For him, the real reward is the camaraderie: warm‑ups and drills followed by games, then tea, coffee, cake and a blether in the clubhouse. “It’s really good fun,” he said. “You’re meeting people from other teams and everybody’s getting involved – that’s what it’s all about.”
And with players travelling from as far as Edinburgh, Cumbernauld and Scone just to join in, the local coach is clear on his message to any locals thinking about giving it a go. “Just come along and make yourself known and you’ll be made more than welcome,” he said.
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Author: The Walking Football
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