At what age did photography grab you?
47
Why did you get involved in the reporting and taking photographs of Walking Football events?
I was invited by the Czech FA to a press conference and the first ever international match in walking football
It was played in the country between the Czech Republic and Slovakia and to take part in the following tournament played by Czech FA employee´s team, PUMA and Media Team.
I was really happy to take part as I think walking football is a great idea.
What equipment did you use on a match day?
The games were played on the Czech FA training ground for the national teams.
The field was of course smaller.
We were provided with football kits.
We did not use shin pads, as they were not needed.
Can you give any tips on how to capture a Walking Football match on camera and what equipment would you recommend to purchase in order to get the best results, bearing in mind it is players at a far slower speed compared to conventional game?
Basically I think that you need a decent camera as the one that is used for normal football.
The movements of players might be slower, but the ball is running in more or less the same speed.
How fast has Walking Football spread in the Czech Republic and in which ways is it being promoted there?
We are just on square one in the Czech Republic.
This event was the first ever organised in the country.
The Czech FA hopes that in 2018 from April to September the regional championships will be played and the finals held in the autumn in Prague.
The first feedback is very positive as far as I know, the regional football associations have already started asking for the information.
The grounds for walking football teams might be provided as well for the training sessions.
The preventive programmes for the seniors will be included into the events.
For example for the police preventive workers these occasions might be very useful to inform the seniors about some measures taken to protect seniors not to become victims of various criminal activities.
How many Walking Football clubs and fitness sessions are you aware of now in the Czech Republic?
These should be founded in the upcoming time.
Some senior organisations have been already using it in the programmes for seniors, but as I said we are starting here with this kind of football.
When you attended the international between CZE & SVK, what set of Walking Football rules were used to officiate the match, and which footballing organisation created them?
I was told the rules come from England.
The goalkeeper could not leave the penalty box and nobody else could enter it.
The substitutions were not limited, the throw-ins were taken by foot, only indirect set-pieces were taken.
There were two referees, who were the ones to decide who is running or not.
Which country did the match officials come from?
They were from Prague, both of them well known from amateur competitions.
They seemed to be very well instructed about the rules, they kept explaining those to the players with patience.
Were there any injuries during the match and if so, how serious were they?
No, there was just a lot of fun.
What was the final score?
Slovakia won 2-1, thank to two penalty kicks given for entering the penalty box.
Many players were not happy the game did not go into penalties.
Or at least was not played longer than 2×10 minutes.
Can you describe the emotions and the reactions of the winning team at the final whistle?
I was standing next to the Slovakian bench.
The players – all of them over 60 and former internationals – were enjoying it from the very first second, right after the national anthems they thought of the tactics and the way how to take turns when substituting.
All of them were making proposals to the coach.
They also had very strange instructions for the team-mates suggesting that they should be careful not to run.
The spectators often smiled as it is funny to hear – do not run! Slow down! Total opposite of what you here at regular games.
I realised immediately that the players enjoyed the occasion to be together on the field again.
To see their old friends, they enjoyed the lunch after the game.
The patron of walking football in the Czech Republic and former Czech national team captain Jan Fiala told me that in the recent years they only meet when they come to funerals.
It was a very emotional moment.
If walking football helps to bring the old friends together on regular basis again, it will be a superb thing.
Some of the players shared their experiences with you. Would you be so kind to share any quotes with our members?
Jan Fiala, the former Czechoslovakia captain said to me: “It is a lot about thinking when playing.
Your mind is used to run when playing, we are all former professionals.
You also need to adopt new tactics and think about the rules.
It is more about the technical skills with the ball.
But I have heard that the walking football is developing fast and I hope it will be soon popular in our country.
Vítězslav Lavička, Czech U21 coach, played in tournament as well. “It was a very interesting experience. I always tell my players that by walking you will not get through the defence. But today it worked,” he smiled.
Basically all of the players welcomed a chance to be involved in playing football again.
What do you like most about Walking Football?
I like the idea to offer football to seniors, to offer them a chance to enjoy the game, I know the love for football is for all your life.
And it prevents you from becoming exhausted or even risking some health troubles.
I also like the fact that men and women may play together as the boys and girls do at the low age.
What do you like least about Walking Football?
I think the rules will need a little bit of development.
The penalty kick for stepping into your penalty box is a very harsh consequence that may decide about the result.
When you played for the media team, who were your opponents?
Czech FA team and PUMA team.
The Czech FA team was made of some former internationals like Josef Pešice, Vítězslav Lavička or Libor Sionko.
Describe what it was like to play in the team against them and did you have any surprises about the energy levels required to play a match?
I was sweat anyway and tired like after a good walk.
It is easy not to run when you are not on the ball, but when you get it or try to offer oneself for a good pass, then it is hard to make slow moves.
Did you find it difficult NOT to run and what advice could you give someone on how to remain at walking pace now you have played yourself for the media team?
I committed three fouls of running – once when I made a dummy move and twice when returning back to defend.
I also scored a goal with a header, and the opponents protested my last three steps towards the ball were a clear run.
The ref allowed the goal, but I felt a bit guilty, because I probably ran.
The advice must be probably to become a bit lazy and comfortable and concentrate on playing the ball.
From speaking with the players, 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?
There is nothing to be afraid of.
There is no danger of getting into dangerous clashes we see on TV in regular games.
And it is fun.
What are the CZE plans to develop walking football in the future?
As I described above, the aim is to organise regular competitions and tournaments.
From your experiences and involvement in the sports industry, how big do you think Walking Football will become on a global basis?
I think it can be as successful and attract a lot of senior players.
This might open opportunities for them to enjoy the game again.
It would be fantastic to see international tournaments that would be a great social events.
I do not see a reason why it should not achieve that level.
Anything else you’d like to share?
My fingers are crossed for the walking football.
I hope this will help not only to former famous players in senior age, but also to all the people to enjoy the game we all love not only by watching but also by an active involvement.
I will be always happy to promote it.
Author: The Walking Football
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