1) Background
Name: David Partington
Age: 71
Location: Stalybridge
Walking Football Club Name: Tameside Striders & Nash Amblers
How long have you played Walking Football? 2yrs
2) Why did you first get involved with Walking Football?
I just wanted to get a little fitness back playing a sport I have always enjoyed.
3) What one or two things do you currently do in your training sessions that you think are important to avoid injury?
At each session we always do a warm up doing plenty of stretches we do these for a good 10 minutes, it’s a great help to a avoid pulling muscles
4) How many times a week do you take part in Walking Football sessions?
3 times a week
5) Have you played competitive Walking Football, if so which tournaments / leagues?
I have played in a couple of tournaments at Northwich & Heywood both League formats.
6) Has your diet changed since you have started playing Walking Football?
If so what is different? Regaining a little more of my fitness back it just makes me more aware of what I’m eating cutting out the fatty foods etc
7) Do you feel fitter and healthier since you have started playing Walking Football and if so in which ways?
I have lost a little weight since I started playing walking football and feel much fitter than I was
8) Have you had any injuries playing and if so what were they?
I strained my Achilles not long after I started but the fitter I have got I seem to have less injuries
9) Do you always have a club member present who has had first aid training at your games and training sessions?
Yes
10) Has your social life changed since you started playing, and if so in what way?
When you retire you do miss the camaraderie of your workmates, but I have made lots of new friends playing walking football and we have social nights where we would go for a meal and bring our wives along it’s not all about the football for most of us the social side to is very important
11) What are your best and worst memories of playing Walking Football?
No real bad memories to be honest I would say I think playing the competitive games does bring the worst out of some players who think that they must win at any cost. The best memories we’ll just being able to play and look back at how you performed
12) How else has playing Walking Football affected your life?
It’s given me a new lease of life being able to still play a game that I left behind many many years ago
13) What do you like most about Walking Football?
Playing with a great group of people who have now become friends
14) What do you like least about Walking Football?
There’s nothing I don’t like to be honest maybe it’s not that enjoyable when it comes to the competitive games with one or two teams being over physical it’s not about that for me it’s wanting to win but fairly and most importantly enjoy it
15) What are your goals for the future when playing Walking Football?
None other than play for as long as I can
16) Anything else you’d like to share?
For anyone who’s thinking of trying the game and are unsure if they would be good enough don’t worry about that there are all sorts of abilities in our sessions we are very aware who plays with who, at Denton where I play on a Tuesday we have an over 65s game and an under 65s and it works very well we want to see players come back each week and they will if they enjoy it.
Author: The Walking Football
You create the memories; we help you relive them forever!
