Football: Walking football find its place in the sporting world

Walking football teams, Rochdale team is in dark blue

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Walking football, invented in 2011 by Chesterfield FC community Trust, to keep over fifties involved in football, has already seen a huge change in its original concept.

Originally aimed at those with mobility issues to enable them to maintain fitness through playing sport it has mushroomed into a thriving pastime for multiple age ranges and varying abilities.

Such is the success of the sport that rule changes from the initial concept have had to be devised to cater for the more mobile members in order to make it more enjoyable and free flowing. Walking football has its own laws and rules as it evolves into a sport more like 5-a-side with the, obvious, difference of no running and minimal contact.

The sport has become, in some ways, a victim of its own success with many venues struggling to satisfy the need generated by the huge increase in numbers over the past two years especially.

The benefits are obvious in that more over fifties are able to rekindle their love of playing football, when they thought that those days had gone forever, whilst enjoying renewed fitness without the tedium of going to the gym and solitary exercise. Such is the interest in the activity that competitions, local, regional and national, have sprung up as a consequence with many having to restrict on age due to the numbers involved.

It is now unusual to have over fifties competitions and more likely to have over sixties, this is due to the physical fitness levels and competitive nature of the current fifties many of whom have only just stopped playing the normal 5-a-side or full version.

The Rochdale branch of walking football was introduced in January 2014 by Link4Life and Rochdale Borough Council with an initial Thursday morning session. This has now expanded to Monday evening and Tuesday morning sessions at venues in Wardle and Littleborough.

The sport is very closely linked with the Stroke Association in the area and many events held include involvement and fundraising by combined groups from both organisations.

The Rochdale group has a regular attendance of twenty five or more participants ranging from Dave G who has a left foot to rival that of Bobby Charlton to Don at eighty one who is living proof that age is no barrier in this game.

Many of the people involved come from the local area resulting in friendships rekindled with word getting around that old football rivalries and past teams (including team photos) can be uncovered.

The reasons for getting involved in this pastime are diverse and wide ranging but all have been rewarded with renewed interest in sport, increased fitness, old and new friendships established and, in some cases, a life changing experience.

Several groups, as a consequence of meeting up at competitions and tournaments, have established connections outside of the immediate area, even to the point of arranging overseas visits with rival teams.

It seems that the ball is well and truly rolling for walking football and its place in the sporting world.