It’s football, but not as you know it...

Pictures by Mark Leighton

Nick Quantrill explores the phenomenon of walking football

It’s not unusual to see groups of footballers on the 4G pitches at the University of Hull every Sunday morning, youngsters mixing with Sunday League players, all looking forward to their weekly fix of kicking a ball around.

But if you look again, you see something different. Once a month, groups of more mature players meet to play in a newly-formed walking football league.

In Hull and the East Riding, walking football is a phenomenon, but what is it that drives players to increasingly participate in both informal sessions, and in the organised leagues?

For Chris Johnson, the East Riding FA’s Clubs and Participation Development Officer, it’s simple.

“What we’ve found is that people don’t stop playing football because their love of the game has gone, it’s because there hasn’t been opportunities and sometimes people think their ability and fitness levels are a barrier, but they’re not,” he says.

“We see walking football as giving longevity to people playing.”

Today it’s the turn of the 60+ league to take centre stage. Five teams – Cottingham Rangers, Hornsea Town, Hull Pacemakers, North Ferriby FC and Wareham Rangers – compete monthly, playing each other three times, to produce a winner.

Today is the climax of the season. Watching the action, several things strike you immediately. The game isn’t as slow as you might imagine. The ball has to be moved with accuracy, and with space at a premium, the players have to make sure their movement is on the money.

The rules are tweaked slightly to ensure there’s minimal contact between players, certainly no tackling from behind, and players are only permitted three touches before the ball must be released.

Not being able to dribble goes a long way towards levelling things up between players displaying a wide range of ability.

“Now you can play from being six-years-old right through to being 70 or 80-years-old,” Chris says, explaining it’s also an inclusive game.

“What’s really good with walking football is that it gives people the opportunity to play mixed football. What you find is that the atmosphere and the type of football being played is really friendly and that’s what drives people to keep playing.”

There’s certainly a sense of comradeship between players, even though the matches are competitive and there’s a strong will to win. You don’t have to watch for long before shouts go up that opponents are running, or having too many touches of the ball. Maybe it’s the maturity of the players, or maybe it’s something that’s grown organically within the scene, but minor disagreements are soon put to one side in good nature.

Speaking to various players, although they play in their teams when league fixtures roll around, they regularly attend each other’s informal turn up and play weekly sessions and know each other well.

It’s now possible to play the game every day of the week somewhere in the city, with more sessions being put on to cater for demand at various age groups.

For people like myself who are a couple of years away from turning 50 and being able to play competitively in the youngest age group, the weekly sessions are a great way to find a route back into the game and pick something up that I thought had moved out of my grasp.

It’s also a sport with an increasing profile for female players. Although there are specific sessions catering to women, it’s also not uncommon to see mixed teams take to the field.

As well as being a sport anyone can participate in, it’s a sport that offers players one last chance to excel. Steve Leake of North Ferriby FC only started playing the game a year ago, but has risen through the ranks to receive an international call-up.

“I was poorly with Covid in 2020 and I was housebound for a while,” he says. “Once we were out of lockdown, a neighbour of mine invited me down to play at Hessle Sporting Club. I’ve retired from working, so I started to build my fitness back up and playing at other sessions.

A former-player at semi-professional level, work stopped Steve from being able to commit and follow his dreams, but this time it’s different. Finding himself included in the East Riding representative side, there was only going to be one goal.

“I’ve always strived to be the best I can be at anything I’ve ever done, so England was the next stepping stone for me,” Steve says.

It’s a competitive process and after several trials, Steve received the good news that’d he made the squad and flies out to Sweden this month to play in a Tri-Nation tournament with the hosts and Norway.

It’s clear from the congratulations he receives from teammates and opponents alike that it’s a popular decision and everyone is delighted to see their league represented at the highest level.

But for all his success, Steve hasn’t forgotten what binds all the players together.

“The social side of it is absolutely important to me,” he says. “I’ve reconnected with old friends and met so many new people.”

As the final whistle blows on the games and North Ferriby FC are crowned winners of the inaugural season, it’s clear Steve’s words apply to all of the walking footballers playing this morning.

As well as the obvious physical benefits sport brings, it’s not difficult to see how mental health benefits are also derived.

“It’s the changing room thing that’s been brilliant,” he says. “Still being able to have a laugh with friends, that’s what it’s really about.”

• For more information on walking football sessions in Hull and the East Riding, click here.