Walking football

Oh, boy.

The governing bodies are pouring significant resources into walking football.

Walking football.

Yes, specifically targeting the 60-plus and 70-plus demographics.

They have identified this as their primary growth market.

It's a numbers game for them.

Exactly.

Associations measure their health in total registered members, and walking football is an incredibly effective tool for retaining aging members.

I'm Phil Charnock, I've been a supporter of Wigan Athletic for over 60 years since I was a youngster and the family are as well, all our family are season ticket holders, been for many many years.

I also still play football, I play five-a-side, open age five-a-side and I play walking football as well which is where I am now at the Wigan Athletic Soccer Dome Academy building.

So football and women's athletics is part of my life, a big part.

Going back to the days of the 1970s or earlier, Springfield Park had a great atmosphere, it was a great family ground.

It was formed around 2013.

I've been chairman a couple of years and again it's something which for physical and also mental, social thing, it's done a lot for myself and the people who play here as well.

We are looking at different ideas which may progress in the future such as possible links with Wigan Athletic because many of us are supporters of Wigan Athletic and also may be progressing into a ladies team as well because ladies have got strong connections to walking football.

This is nationally as well as locally so we are thinking of different ideas where we can expand the group and linking with Wigan Athletic.

That's goldbergradio at gmail.com, market trivia.

Before we go as well, I was approached by a guy after a recent game, because I've been reveling in my walking football exploits, and he lives in Kings Winford, and he asked me about his nearest walking football team.

I think there's a team called the Dudley Dodgers or something like that.

Like that.

They were fairly near to Capeford.

But if you can help him and you want to send me a message as well to that email address, goldbergradio at gmail.com. For our listener in Capeford, who wants to play walking football in his local area, because my local team, Cadbury Athletic, is a little bit far away from him.

I don't know if I mentioned, Chris, last week we had a friendly, a walking football friendly against Stratford Town.

Lost 5-0.

And just still come back for more.

Just in case anyone's wondering, and thinks that we don't care anymore, we just didn't have a Walking Football.

No Walking Football.

Yeah.

No.

Yeah

... we would've [laughs] we would've been playing five-a-one.

They'd do us a bit walking football-

And, yeah, we'll talk about that.

And then we're going to finish off with Ritchard Paveley, who is one of the lead people who's going to be taking several sides over to Sydney next week to play in the very first... walking football interstate competition.

So the proud West Australians, of which I'm one, will be going over there to take on the might of the East.

And like everything, we're underdogs, but that's the way we want it.

Yeah.

All right, we're going to go to a short break.

We'll be back after that with Ritchard Paveley, who is one of the walking footballers headed over to Sydney to represent the state next week.

And yeah, really, I'm personally invested in that as well myself.