About Walking Football
Our “Strictly Walking” Football sessions take place every Monday and Wednesday between 10am and 11am at Dunes Leisure Centre.
Our Walking Football Groups have been going for over five years and well over 150 people have given it a try since it started up.
We also have a Wednesday sessions which is “Veterans Football” for the Over 50’s but the age can be flexible to allow people with injuries to take part. This takes place between 11 and 12 on a Wednesday similar rules to the Walking Football except the walking rule will be removed. Strictly No Contact, no penning people in, no heading, the ball must stay below head height, goals can only be scored outside the arc and no players are allowed in the arc except the ‘keeper.
People are very welcome to attend one or both of the sessions. The Monday morning sessions are very busy and we are currently advising new people to join the 10-11 Wednesday session.
We have 70 members signed up
50-59 age group 33
60-69 age group 34
70-83 age group 33
50 is the minimum age for Mens Walking Football and 4o for women
Colin Dale, Steve Thompson, Matthew Burch and Rob Urwin are the group organisers
Both sessions cost just £2 per player.
For more details or to register your interest in the first instance contact Rob on 077900-41514 or mail rob@southportfc.net
What have people said about Walking Football:-
Francis “Although an irregular player l thoroughly enjoy the Walking Football sessions l play at the Dunes. The Boys and Girls who attend are an incredibly friendly group and the craic great.
Oh! The Football is good as well, whatever level you play at. Highly recommend it no matter how long it is since you last kicked a football. Join us”
Stuart “First and foremost is the benefit of the exercise you get from the physical exertion. Then there is the benefit of the comraderee that goes hand in hand with the social interaction from all participants. Another benefit is that it gets you into the fresh air and gets you off the sofa or gets you off duties like shopping with the wife or domestic duties”
Alan ” I will be 75 next month,other than playing for my school team or 5 a side tournaments for my employers up to my 30’s and of course kicking a ball around with my kids/grandkids,I had not kicked a ball in anger until 2019,when I saw an advert for wallking football and decided to give it a go.’
I turned up,not knowing what to expect from my first game,which wasn’t really walking football and I think I did okay.The next few days involved a few aches and pains,which was expected, but I had caught the bug so to speak.The numbers started to increase and everyone I have met since have been really good guys (and galls).I have played in a tournament in Portugal which was a fantastic experience. Southport have a strictly walking session with referees,or for the more adventurous there are vets football sessions with minimal contact allowed.
Finally,I would like to say that these sessions opened up a new lease of life for me.I look forward to the games each week,they have undoubtedly improved my fitness and wellbing and I have met countless new friends and aquintances along the way. This is why I would recommend anyone who is thinking about it to give it a try”
Paula “I can’t recommend walking football highly enough. I started playing 5 years ago and have never looked back. I look forward to playing ever week to meet up with the new friends I have made and enjoy the camaradarie within the group. It has not only improved my stamina, flexibility and balance, but also for me personnally, my confidence. If you are thinking of giving it a try, don’t think twice, just have a go.
Steve ” James Pope David Hallgate and Steve Draper met through Walking Football, where time off the pitch led to conversations-and a shared love of music. David (Keyboards) and Steve (Guitar) began rehearsing together, before fellow player James joined as vocalist. Danger Goat was born. What started on the walking football pitch now continues on stage with the band performing across Southport”
Mark ” Walking football is a hugely technical and enjoyable sport which I have been playing in Southport for around 2 years now. The walking football crowd have varying degrees of sporting experience and abilities but sessions are brilliantly organised and played in the best possible spirit. Players are encouraged and praised a lot by the rest of the group and this camaraderie continues off the pitch when we meet up for various meals or nights out. We also get to play in tournaments, leagues and national cups, all brllliantly organised by two very hardworking individuals”
Allan ” I have always loved playing football but due to my alcohol and substance addiction I hadnt kicked a ball for over 30 years and I didn’t expect to ever play football again. I didn’t think I was good enough to play again and although I am still quite new and still getting to know everyone, the warm welcome and encouragement I have received from everyone at Southport WF has helped my recovery and my mental health. I look forward to playing as often as I can and will be forever grateful for the warm welcome from everyone involved in Southport WF”
Dave “I joined the Over 60s Walking Football group in late 2024 while recovering from two knee operations. At that stage I was unsure how much football I’d be able to play again, but the welcome I received from everyone made an immediate difference.The group is friendly, inclusive and supportive — completely different to my previous football experience. There’s a real sense of camaraderie, with plenty of encouragement and humour along the way.Even with further injuries and periods of illness since joining, being part of the group has helped me regain confidence, improve both physically and mentally, and enjoy being active again. Walking football has allowed me not just to keep playing, but to thrive — and I’m genuinely grateful to be part of such a great bunch of people.”
We have even had a couple of poems
Walking Football (Serious Fun!)
No running they said, not even a jog
It’s about the same pace as walking the dog
No tackling they said, from the side or behind
No backing in either but shadow marking is fine
No contact they said, not a nudge or a push
Give players space just like being on the bus
No heading they said, play the ball on the ground
Not so easy though when it keeps bouncing around
These rules might seem extreme, crazy and mad
But walking football is the best fun you can have
The games are competitive and sometimes intense
But nobody falls out, everybody stays friends
There are some ladies that play and play very well
They concentrate on the game, not nails and hair gel
The referees are brilliant, knowledgeable and fair
And hair pulling incidents are extremely rare
The organisation is mainly done by Colin and Steve
More people keep joining and nobody leaves
Southport FC provide great help and support
With facilities, kit and refreshments of sorts
If you enjoy playing footy but thought you were done
Then try walking football – just don’t run!
Number Two
A Walking‑Pace Wonder Game
Beneath a soft and silver sky,
We stroll the pitch, not racing by,
A gentle game where calm is king,
And every pass a measured thing.
The ball stays low — five feet, no more,
It skims the grass, it hugs the floor;
A whispered roll, a careful glide,
No booming volleys, no wild stride.
Around me move the players of grace,
Men & Women sixty‑plus who own the space;
Their footsteps light, their judgement keen,
The wisest players ever seen.
No barging shoulders, none of that,
Just front‑on contact, soft and flat;
Respect’s the rule, the tempo slow,
A peaceful, thoughtful ebb and flow.
The keeper guards their sacred “D”,
A line as strict as lines can be;
Step out and touch the ball? Oh dear —
A penalty awaits you here.
Free kicks float out with gentle spin,
Opponents two full metres in;
No creeping forward, no sly advance,
Just honest play and balanced stance.
No anger flares, no tempers shout,
No referee is taken out;
Their word is law, serene and clear,
And arguments don’t live here.
But should you stray, commit a sin —
Off you pop to the two‑minute sin‑bin;
A quiet pause, a breath, a reset,
Then back you come with no regret.
So here we walk, in steady time,
A match that feels almost like rhyme;
A game where kindness sets the pace,
And football finds its gentlest grace.