It is as much about the friendship as it is the football at a Grimsby club that champions the walking version of the sport.
Grimsby Ancient Mariners (GAM) was first launched in 2012 “with three players and three coaches”, said member Pete Cribb, 74. “Last Monday we had 83 turn up to play.
“There are actually 160-plus members – it’s probably a good job they all don’t turn up at once wanting to play – and it’s very much about the social side, it’s the banter.
“No one is turned away, so long as they are over 55. They don’t have to have had any experience of football at all.”
Pete joined in 2013 and was number 30. “We used to have 15-a-side on one pitch,” he said. “One of the coaches thought it had started to get too many and that we ought to split it up a bit more and the numbers have exploded since then.
“In May we have 32 members going to Holland to play in an international tournament. Every year we take with us a flag with the names embroidered on it of the members we have lost; if anyone dies in the year before we go, their name gets added, so they’re still coming with us.”
Social functions for GAM include a Valentine’s Day lunch, a summer barbecue, a Christmas dinner and quiz nights. In early June, it is the annual fish and chip night.
GAM holds two one-hour sessions of walking football on Mondays and Thursdays, “followed by banter and coffee in the café,” from 10am to 1pm. An occasional Wednesday sees them compete in a Lincolnshire league.
“It’s a very well-organised club with a working committee. We’re self-sufficient, we’ve just gone from strength to strength and the lads are all so supportive.
“To say we just started off with a few lads playing on the Bradley pitches, it’s literally snowballed. We are described by the council as a community asset.”
You can find out more on the Grimsby Ancient Mariners’ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gamwfc
FULL STORY at source: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/grimsby-walking-football-club-literally-10145779
Author: The Walking Football
You create the memories; we help you relive them forever!
