Coalfields Community Trust Walking Football Cup

I first became aware of the sport of walking football on BBC Breakfast news during an interview with a 71 year old gentleman by the name of Tommy Charlton. The younger brother of ’66 World Cup winners Jack & Bobby, he was about to emulate his illustrous siblings by getting a call up to the England over sixties walking football squad. I found the story both fascinating and heartwarming but let thoughts of this version of the beautiful game move to the back of my mind. Not long after however popular Scottish sitcom Still Game broadcast an episode called ‘Balls Up’, featuring the Craiglang boys participating in a walking football tournament, I remembered the third Charlton brother again and decided I needed to see this sport in action.

So what is walking football and how does it work? Well basically it is a fitba variant aimed at the over fifties or those with mobility issues. Devised in 2011 by the Chesterfield FC Community Trust, it quickly became a craze it is designed to improve cardiovascular fitness with minimum stress on the body, reduce heart rate and blood pressure as well as reducing fat and increasing muscle. The game’s other main aim is to tackle a major epidemic amongst the elderly: loneliness.

Played in small teams on pitches 20 to 40 yards long and 15 to 30 yards, wide walking football has strict rules. No running, no slide tackles and the ball goes no higher than the hip (regardless of whether it is real or a replacement). Matches can take place indoor or outside but under a roof a smaller ball should be in use. The game is evolving too, it began without goalkeepers but has since introduced them. It has also become more inclusive with people of all ages and genders taking up the game.

The first recorded walking football match in Scotland took place on the fifth of December 2012 in Loanhead, Midlothian and since that historic day the sport has grown exponentially. In April of last year a governing body came into being; Walking Football Scotland, which was quickly granted charitable trust status a few months later. WFS has close partnerships with both the Scottish Professional Football League as well as the Scottish Football Association and hopes to build links with local health services to consider referrals into walking football programmes.

When I started to look for walking football events I might be able to attend I was pleasantly surprised to find one on my doorstep. Today I’m returning to Alloa Athletic‘s Indodrill Stadium (Recreation Park) for the Coalfields Community Trust Walking Football Cup that makes up part of a larger football festival organised by The Coalfields Regeneration Trust. CRT is a UK wide charity that “plays the role of champion for coalfield areas, celebrating the tradition and heritage of ex-mining areas while highlighting the legacy of needs in these areas.” Since the group’s formation in 1999 a massive £260 million has been invested in former coal mining communities in areas including ‘helping people back into work’, ‘improving health’ and ‘growing new businesses & social enterprises’. I will admit to never having heard of CRT before but it seems to be a fantastic operation, doing some seriously good work.

I really don’t know what to expect from today, but I’m really looking forward to it. The sun is shining it is going to be an interesting and different day. Let’s get into it.

The Tournament

Things kick off in Alloa at ten in the morning so it is too early for pre-match pints (even in Alloa), but fear not for post-tournament pints will follow this section of the blog. Also, given that I have been to this ground before there is no need for a description here. See my Ambling Around Alloa blog for a guide to ‘The Recs’.

Arriving just after ten at the ground I am delighted to see the place alive with activity. The pitch has been divided into six with girl’s games at the north end, boys to the south and the walking football in the middle, straddling the halfway line. Within minutes of watching Alloa Athletic Vs Tranent Colts I realise that I’m not here to see auld codgers knock a ball around the park in an effort to keep out of the pub, this is a hard hitting, toughly contested game between guys who can play. The second game between Airdrie’s NL Leisure and Stewarton confirms this as players go in hard, tumble over the 3G surface and batter the ball about. While the participants don’t look like typical footballers they can really play; Tranent’s number 15 is a big bloke, with some kite on him, but he has a lovely touch and scores twice from the halfway line. Kirkcaldy are the only team to show up without full matching kit but one player has Edgar Davids style goggles and can control play just like the Dutchman. I’m getting the impression that walking fitba is akin to cast ups rugby; boys with a love of the game, decades of experience and working hard in well worn bodies.

As the sun beats down and the guys begin to tire things start to get a little bit heated. Opposition players bicker, shout at the refs and give the odd shove or harder than needed tackle. It’s not long before things turn nasty and hilarious when a Kirkcaldy boy snaps, letting out a foul tirade at a rival. The referee is having none of it and awards the victim a penalty, getting the same abuse launched at him. Out comes the red card and the player marches off the pitch livid.

After a couple of hours and a lot of checking results we are down to the semi-finals: Alloa vs Stewarton & NL Leisure against Tranent. Alloa stroll through but it is down to penalties in the other match, the NL keeper being the hero. The final actually feels like a big event, again it goes down to spot kicks and at the peak of the drama, in sudden death, the day takes another turn. NL blast a penalty and the Alloa keeper saves, with his face! He is spark out and quickly into the recovery position, thankfully however he is soon up and escorted to the bench. NL Leisure want to declare a draw but the official needs a winner, their goalie saves and they bury another to win the cup. Fantastic.

Post Tournament Pints

I make my escape and head into town where the first stop is the Thistle Bar, a place I walk past on my way to work but have never been in. Right on the former site of Maclays brewery it is a large auld man’s pub that is rather quiet despite the World Cup on the telly. Dark wood and some fitba memorabilia on the walls, I’m very impressed by the £3.05 pint of Red Stripe.

Crams, up next, is tiny by contrast to the Thistle but much more busy. Cheap pine panelling is stained dark in a futile attempt to make it look more expensive and the tiles on the bar are well worn but the place is spotless and welcoming. The Fosters is a poor drink compared to my previous pint but I enjoy it while reading the funny quotes and sayings that decorate the place.

Closed for years but recently very well refurbished is the Royal Oak which is jammed and full of laughter. Great drinks selection (I count a dozen rums) so I opt for half a Williams Bros Caesar Augustus and a dram of the IPA cask finished Glenfiddich. This costs me just a fiver and marks a grand end to a fabulous day.

The Aftermath

I hadn’t know what to expect but I couldn’t have expected how good my first walking football experience was. I laughed, I was tense, I was engrossed and I loved every minute. The standard shocked me and the passion made a big impression. I now have 14 years to train up so I can get involved in this excellent game.