WALKING ‘THE BEAUTIFUL GAME’
The Walking Football sessions target those over-55s who are less fit
ORGANISATION Fusion Lifestyle
PROJECT Walking football
F
usion Lifestyle is running walking football sessions for people who would still like to engage in competitive football, but who can
no longer run around the pitch. The walking football sessions –
which were launched this summer – are a joint initiative between Fusion Lifestyle and the Surrey FA, and are aimed at the over-55s as well as younger people with injuries that have left them less able-bodied. Having spent years away from the
game, participants John McNiff, 54, Martin Goff, 67, and Andy Cox, 62, get to pull their boots on every Friday morning at Thornton Heath Leisure Centre. After only a few sessions, they are already singing its praises. Cox says: “I’m fitter now than I was
30 years ago when I last played football. It’s benefited all aspects of my life:
November/December 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
now, when I go on holiday, I can go on longer scenic walks.” Goff adds: “I haven’t played football
since primary school, but look at me now. I find the gym can be a boring way to keep fit, whereas this is good fun. The competitive element adds something extra too.” The slower-paced version of
the ‘beautiful game’ is played with a size 4 Futsal, and those who run, jog or sprint will be penalised, with a free kick awarded against them. Each hour-long session starts with a series of stretches and dribbling exercises, moving on to drills designed to improve a player’s ability to shield the ball, before ending with a game. McNiff isn’t content with just
turning up and playing – he’s looking to actively improve one key area of his game. “You have to think about your passing more, as your natural instinct is to deliver the ball for someone to run to. Glenn Hoddle was great at getting a ball to stop dead, and that’s something I’m trying to work into my game,” he says. Crystal Palace Foundation has started
promoting the sessions to its older and less fit supporters and, with sessions currently taking place in the morning,
Fusion Lifestyle is looking to add an additional session in the evening or at the weekend to engage younger people. Kevin West, Surrey FA development
officer, was instrumental in setting up the session alongside Fusion Lifestyle. He says: “For anyone to engage and ultimately continue to participate in physical activity, it must be something they really enjoy. The walking football initiative provides exactly this opportunity for individuals who previously loved to play football, but who felt they had to hang up their boots due to lack of fitness. “I’ve been able to watch as the
participants’ ability and confidence has grown week by week. To see them then go on to play as a team in a local competition, with the same commitment and will to compete as you’d expect from those in mainstream football, justified the efforts of those who helped establish the sessions.” Jemel Stuart, a coach at Thornton
Heath, adds: “Walking football is a great idea. When I first heard about it I was a bit apprehensive, but it’s been good fun. I look forward to introducing it in other sessions, as it’s a good tool to teach patterns of play and other skills.”
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