Players have a ball at walking football fest
Celebration of sport is popular with the over-50s
Dozens of over-50s pulled on their boots for the first ever Forth Valley Walking Football Festival this week.
The event, which was billed as a celebration of the sport rather than a competition, took place at Forthbank on Wednesday morning.
It offered players throughout the area the chance to meet and play with new people and socialise with one another afterwards.
Active Stirling’s football development officer Scott Kinross organised the event and he has been working hard in recent months to encourage more players to take up the sport.
He said: “Most of our players played competitive football in their youth and had very reluctantly hung up their boots in their late 30s and 40s when the pace and risk of injuries became too great.
“Thanks to walking football most cannot believe their luck at being able to play again.
“You can see that they are having the time of their lives – the smiles on their faces say it all.”
Walking football was invented specifically to encourage older, often retired players back to the game.
During the festival players were split into teams and they played one another in strict rotation.
No official account was kept of the overall tally of goals and no prizes were awarded at the end.
The most important rule of the game is that no running is allowed and coaches from Active Stirling were on-hand to referee the matches.
Walking football can be played across Forth Valley each weekday – with the Stirling group meeting at Forthbank on Wednesdays from 11am to noon.
There is chance for a coffee and chat afterwards.
Anyone over-50 is welcome to join. For more information call Active Stirling on 01786 273555.