Thank you for your interest in this story

To continue reading this article, sign up today to unlock exclusive content and be part of our community discussions

Exclusive discounts
Enjoy commenting on local issues

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

May 2024

News

'We’ve still got it' – the Harrogate walking football team defying stereotypes

Published: 25 May 2024, 06:00 BST

by dan14@showandtell.agency

It’s the first balmy May evening in Harrogate, a rare anomaly in what has been a wet and miserable start to spring.

At Rossett Sports Centre pitches, past the usual sight of teenagers limbering up for a training session, there’s an entirely different type of team getting prepared to play.

It would be fair to say that the generation the group belongs to drives up the average age of people at the sports centre – but walking football team Harrogate Strays WFC is here to show the youngsters playing on the neighbouring pitch that age is no barrier.

The criteria to join is simple; if you’re a woman you have to be over 40, if you’re a man that’s upped to 50 – and it goes without saying, but running is strongly discouraged.

Bernie O’Brien, chairman of the club, is on the touchline, watching as the players are split into four teams with different coloured bibs. Kick off begins at the blast of the whistle.

One eye on the game, he comments:

"We’ll play come rain or shine, but we’ve really had the worst of it this winter. But still people kept showing up, which I think is a testament to them, and to the game."

On the pitch, the action is unfolding; a succession of passes, with the green-bibbed team dominating possession early on. One plucky red-bibbed player sees his chance when the ball goes awry and drives quickly in the direction of the goal – a little too quickly.

Referee and club secretary Rod Clifton blows his whistle, already shaking his head. His two word admonishment of 'clearly running' is apparently a familiar refrain, because with a good natured shrug, play resumes.

Bernie explains:

"It happens much more than it should. But you can see why, you’re suddenly at an advantage and every instinct is telling you to go for it.

"It’s actually a very technical and difficult to stay at the right pace but keep up that momentum. That’s a big misconception about walking football – that it isn’t fast.

"If you read Wikipedia, it just says walking football is for older people with mobility issues. If you look at the people on the pitch, there’s not a lot of mobility issues here."

Bernie, Rod and club treasurer Tom Robinson first founded Harrogate Strays in October 2023. Formerly volunteers at Harrogate Town AFC Community Foundation, and managers of the walking football team associated with the club, they struck out on their own last year.

They found that many of their former players followed them, keen to play in a competitive league, which Harrogate Town’s walking football club does not currently offer. Soon, players who just wanted to play socially were also getting in touch, so the Harrogate Strays expanded its remit to cover both options.

There’s no animosity between Harrogate Town and Harrogate Strays– indeed, a handful of the players split their time between the two, so they can play both competitively and casually.

Sessions run bi-weekly at 5pm, with the first on Monday at the Army Foundation College in Killinghall and the second on Wednesday at Rossett Sports Centre.

Currently Harrogate Strays has approximately 56 players, with over 60s, over 65s and over 70s teams, all of whom are entered into the Walking Football Association (WFA) and Walking Football League Alliance (WFLA) national cups.

Men and women play alongside each other and while there are official women-only teams there hasn’t been enough uptake in Harrogate yet to facilitate this. Harrogate Strays currently has two female players but Bernie hopes there will be greater representation in the future.

Back in the game, a goal is scored, accompanied by a very familiar fist-pump-and-back-patting celebration, replicated endlessly across Sunday leagues and elite sport alike.

According to Bernie, while there are plenty of crossovers, there is also enough difference between the regular game and walking football to make it a challenge for even the most seasoned player.

"Because you can’t rely on your speed, you’ve got to develop that technical ability. It can be frustrating for those who used to play football and relied on their speed.

"That’s not this game – you have to keep it simple, get the ball to your feet and support your teammates. The basics are the same as normal football, but you have to stick to them more rigidly.

"It’s a different sport, in effect, but it’s the same skills. And it’s still a good workout, running or not. It’s a good demonstration of ‘we’ve still got it’."

The whistle sounds again; half time, and players pour off the pitch to grab a drink and refuel. Beyond the ability to work up a sweat and improve cardiovascular health, the benefits of group sport on an individual’s mental health have long been recognised – something particular pertinent to older people.

A survey conducted by Age UK predicts that by 2026 there will be two million people over 50 experiencing loneliness in the UK. This, coupled with the increased risk of dementia, heart disease and poorer health in later years, makes what the Harrogate Strays can offer even more important.

Bernie has personally witnessed the positive effects that the sessions can have on players.

"There’s something about getting out on the pitch and kicking the ball that feels special, there’s something intrinsic about it, which can help people be in the present.

"We do have older players who have the early signs of dementia, and one of our previous members attended in the late stages of the illness. His daughter brought him down and she got to see him light up on the pitch for a moment when the ball was passed to him.

"It was really special and emotional for all of us. Sometimes players reach a point where they can’t come any more because of illness or injury, but we also have plenty who’ve found that this has helped keep them active."

The second half of the game boasts even more thrills and spills; by the time full time is signalled, both teams have conceded and scored, although not without a few more admonishments for running along the way.

After the match, while players pack their bags and prepare to leave, the oldest member of the Harrogate Strays, 77-year-old Lawrie Coulthard summarises what the club means to him, and many others.

"We all love it. For me, it’s the camaraderie – when you’re in your 70s, or pushing 80, you still want that back-and-forth, that chat, and the banter is really good. Mind you – when you get into it, it’s very difficult to gage whether you’re walking or not."

A new group of teenagers are now loitering at the entrance of the pitches, waiting to start their own training. If they’re phased by the age of the team leaving, they don’t show it.

And why should they be? The Harrogate Strays has certainly proven that age is no barrier – and that walking football is anything but easy.

Read more:

‘Tai chi teaches you about yourself’ – the Valley Gardens class honouring martial arts principles

How Andy’s Man Club is helping men in Harrogate to talk

Harrogate’s Rachel Daly retires from England football