The Willow Park men’s walking football team continues to flourish, becoming a focal point for former and new players of a certain vintage in the Athlone community.
The team was founded in 2021, the players meet twice weekly at the home of Willow Park FC. For an hour of their day, they savour the enjoyment and reward that non-competitive football brings to their lives.
Such is the standard of players regularly appearing on the Willow Park astro-turf, the club has received international recognition with three players, Denis Clarke, Gerry McHugh and Jim Rockcliffe appearing at tournaments for the Ireland team.
First mooted by the FAI’s Development Officer for Westmeath Glen Byrne, the club was founded by the quartet of Jimmy Greene, Gerry McHugh, Padraig Gaffey and Anthony Monaghan. This quartet remain instrumental to the club’s activities and the game has grown in popularity.
Willow Park men’s walking football team
“We were one of the first clubs to form outside of Dublin and once word started to go around that there was a walking football team in Athlone, such is the popularity of the game that numbers gradually started to increase,” said Anthony Monaghan.
As numbers started to grow, the option of participating in walking football tournaments became a reality and with the standard “being competitive” it allowed players from the club to express their talents on a national level.
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National and international tournaments cater for players at over 50, over 60, over 65 and over 70 age groups. The trio of Clarke, McHugh and Rockcliffe have featured at a number of tournaments on the international stage.
Clarke has donned the national colours at over-60 tournaments in Morocco, Rome, Nantes, Wales and England. He recently returned from Wales where he was part of the Ireland team to win a quadrangular tournament competing against Wales, England and the Caribbean….
CONTINUE READING at source: https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2025/10/02/local-players-feature-for-ireland-in-walking-football/
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Author: The Walking Football
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