How long have you been involved with the club?
PLAYING FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS.
When was your Walking Club formed?
October 2015.
How many hours per week do you spend on club related matters?
I SPEND 1 HOUR A WEEK PLAYING AT BARNET’S WEEKLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL SESSSION + INVOLVED IN PLAYIING IN SOME TOURNAMENTS AND ORGANISED MATCHES AGAINST OTHER TEAMS.
Does your club follow rules of the game created by the FA or WFA? If the answer is yes, why did you decide to follow those association rules?
We follow WFA rules as we find them safer with no direct free kicks as an example.
How many regular players attend each session and how quickly have numbers grown since the club was formed?
We formed with around 4 players on a Friday , now over our 2 sessions we have up to 50.
If your club plays a competitive game, rather than one of the weekly Walking Football fitness sessions, do you see any change of attitude in respect of competitiveness in the players?
YES – MORE INTENSE IN COMPETITIVE GAMES AND OFTEN CONTROVERSY RE WALKING/RUNNING & OVER PHYSICAL CONTACT UNLESS VERY GOOD REFEREES.
Do you feel fitter and healthier since you have started playing Walking Football and if so in which ways?
YES – BETTER ENDURANCE.
Have you had any injuries playing and if so what were they?
YES – MUSCLE INJURIES TYPICALLY DUE TO OVER STRETCHING.
Do you always have a club member present who has had first aid training at your games and training sessions?
YES WE ARE PART OF THE HIVE TRUST WHO TAKE OUR SESSIONS AND ARE FULLY FIRST AID TRAINED.
Has your social life changed since you started playing, and if so in what way?
NO.
What are your best and worst memories of playing Walking Football?
BEST – DOING WELL IN COMPETITIVE TOURNAMENTS.
WORST – POOR REFEERING WHERE TEAMS GET AWAY WITH BLATANT RUNNING.
How else has playing Walking Football affected your life?
BEING RETIRED IT PROVIDES A WORTHWHILE ACTIVITY TO PARTICIPATE IN DURING THE AFTERNOON & IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REGULAR EXERCISE.
What do you like most about Walking Football?
I’VE PLAYED FOOTBALL NEARLY ALL MY ADULT LIFE SO WALKING FOOTBALL HAS PROVIDED A VERY UNEXPECTED WAY FOR ME TO CONTINUE PLAYING A VERSION OF THE GAME THAT I’VE ENJOYED FOR SO LONG.
What do you like least about Walking Football?
PLAYERS THAT KNOWINGLY RUN IN COMPETITIVE GAMES AND REFEERES WHO FAIL TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT – AGAINST THE WHOLE ETHOS OF THE GAME.
Do you find it difficult NOT to run and what advice could you give someone in how to remain at walking pace?
YES, PARTICULARLY IF TRYING TO GET THE BALL THAT IS JUST OUT OF REACH. I MOSTLY TAKE LONG STRIDES AND TRY NOT TO BEND MY KNEES TOO MUCH. I THINK THE MORE THE KNEES ARE BENT, THE GREATER RISK OF FAST WALKING TURNING INTO A RUN.
What are your goals for the future when playing Walking Football?
TO PLAY FOR AS LONG AS I’M ABLE ENJOYING THE MIX OF FRIENDLY SESSIONS WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS AND PARTICIPATING IN COMPETITIVE MATCHES.
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?
FOR THOSE WHO’VE PLAYED FOOTBALL BEFORE, I THINK IT IS NATURAL TO BE SCEPTICAL – I CERTAINLY WAS AS I COULD NOT SEE HOW FOOTBALL COULD BE PLAYED PROPERLY WHILST JUST WALKING.
GETTING PASSED THAT AND GIVING IT A GO AND SEEING FOR YOURSELF IS THE 1st STEP – THERE IS MORE SKILL INVOLVED THAN YOU MAY THINK. ONCE INVOLVED THERE IS THE BENEFIT OF REGULAR EXERCISE IN A TEAM SETTING WITH SOCIAL INTERACTION THAT YOU CAN’T GET FROM EXERCISING IN A GYM.
What do your friends and family think about you playing a sport again at your age?
I DON’T REALLY KNOW FOR SURE BECAUSE I HADN’T STOPPED PLAYING FOOTBALL WHEN I STARTED WALKING FOOTBALL AS I STILL PLAY ONCE A WEEK.
What are the costs involved in order for you to play Walking Football?
BARNET CHARGE £3 A SESSION AND £1 FOR CAR PARKING. TOURNAMENT FEES VARY.
Anything else you’d like to share?
WE HAVE JUST QUALIFIED FOR THE EFL FINALS AT SAINT GEORGE’S PARK AND I WISH ALL THE SQUAD THE BEST OF LUCK.
Author: The Walking Football
You create the memories; we help you relive them forever!
