1) How long have you been involved with the running / management of the club? 2.5 years
2) Why did you first get involved with helping run your Walking Football club?
I was playing and helping to run Netherton Walkers but after speaking with Guy Walton at Stamford Daniels offered to run the Strollers as it is near my home.
3) When was your Walking Club formed?
2016
4) How many hours per week do you spend on club related matters?
Varies. Depends how much is going on.
On a quiet week about 5hrs.
When we have tournaments, friendlies etc; much more as I run our web site www.stamfordstrollers.org.uk and our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/stamfordafcstrollers
We also travel to Portugal for a tournament each year and that takes a surprising amount of time to organise and manage for everyone.
5) Is your club funded in any way and if so, how did you achieve securing these revenue streams?
Funded through paying subs £3 a game and some pricing help from Stamford Daniels
6) 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?
FA rules with a slight variation as we do not play with goalkeepers in our weekly kick about sessions.
7) How many regular players attend each session and how quickly have numbers grown since the club was formed?
Numbers grew very quickly when we started out in a more organised manner in 2015.
We now have over 80 registered players at the club but most of these come and go.
We run three weekly sessions; Tuesday 12-1pm, Thursday 5-6pm (55+) and Thursday 6-7pm (45+)
8) 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?
Definitely and this varies by competition from acceptable to downright ridiculous with little regard to the core rules of walking football.
Strong referees who enforce walking football rules are essential.
Many of the more experienced referees turn out to be the weaker walking football refs as they ref by experience and seem to lose track of the ‘running.
But even worse they allow more physicality than there should be in a walking football match.
9) Do you feel fitter and healthier since you have started playing Walking Football and if so in which ways?
Without a doubt. I have lost about 2 stones and my diabetes has improved greatly halving my medication from 6 to 3 metformin a day.
10) Have you had any injuries playing and if so what were they?
Minor ones; broken toe (impact), achilles and of course the dreaded footballers knee – I wear support on both knees when playing.
11) Do you always have a club member present who has had first aid training at your games and training sessions?
Almost always
12) Has your social life changed since you started playing, and if so in what way?
Lots of new friends and a fresh outlook on like.
13) What are your best and worst memories of playing Walking Football?
Worst is easy – playing for Peterborough United in last year’s EFL Trust Walking Football tournament – the attitude of a couple of the teams and their players there was appalling.
Best was our last trip to Vilamoura in Portugal.
Great company, fantastic camaraderie and some enjoyable football.
Plus both teams brought home silverware in the Cup and Plate competition (3rd and plate winners)
14) How else has playing Walking Football affected your life?
More energy – rekindled love of the game.
There are also a core of new friends ready to offer advice and lend a hand outside of football.
15) What do you like most about Walking Football?
Playing football again but with team mates and opponents that show mutual respect for each other.
Rarely do we see a ‘prima donna’.
16) What do you like least about Walking Football?
Some of the aggression and physicality that is coming into the game especially in tournaments.
To my thinking the non-contact is even more important than stopping the running as it is more likely to cause injury.
17) Do you find it difficult NOT to run and what advice could you give someone in how to remain at walking pace?
Yes – almost everyone does unless there mobility restrictions prevent them doing so.
Sadly, in competitions there is only one man that can control the speed of the game and that is the referee.
We like to play our competitions in a good spirit but we still want to win any competition we enter.
As such if the referee allows the game speed to increase then teams, including ourselves, will play to that speed.
I’ve heard it argued that each team should take this responsibility and ensure they don’t start to run but with the best will in the world, if you are playing ‘fair’ and the other team are running your will start to lose the game, frustration builds resulting in your team matching that speed to remain competitive.
18) What are your goals for the future when playing Walking Football?
We played in the first Lincs FA League in August.
It would be great to see that league grow in numbers and be played on a home/away basis across the county.
I’d also like to see more referees taking part with emphasis on walking football rules.
19) 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?
Don’t be!
The stand out strength of walking football is the camaraderie and support that the players give each other.
Everyone is in the same boat – whether they are playing this version of the game due to age, mobility issues, poor fitness or other reason.
You won’t find any ‘superstars’ who think they are better than you; just like minded people who want to play the great game again, or even for the first time in some cases.
20) What do your friends and family think about you playing a sport again at your age?
The vast majority are very respectful and impressed.
There has been the odd ex-footballer who scoffs and the best way of dealing with them is to get them over for a session – they soon change their attitude.
21) What are the costs involved in order for you to play / run your Walking Football?
£3 per session pay and play.
Tournament fees split equally between squad members.
Travel costs covered by the players themselves.
22) Anything else you’d like to share?
A huge THANK YOU to Stamford Daniels for the support they provide to us by way of using the pitch and facilities.
They often bend over backwards to accommodate us and it is appreciated.
Also to Sophie Bartup and everyone at Lincs FA for the work that they do.
Sophie spends a lot of time organising and promoting the format around the county.
Author: The Walking Football
You create the memories; we help you relive them forever!
