Get the ball rolling for over-50s

A Cookham football enthusiast has received a warm welcome from over 50s on Facebook after setting up a national group, writes Madeleine Evans.

Dog trainer Graham Whiddett, 56, who plays with Old Berks FC, has had more than 150 members sign up to the page since he created it last week.

He wants to set up a central hub of over 50s football clubs, to get more people involved and help teams source kit, equipment, venues, and officials.

Graham said: “The bigger it gets the more useful it will be.

“If it gets national, there’s a lot more visibility for people to join clubs in their area, and it’ll become a good resource for everyone, a massive community hub which will serve everybody.”

A life-long Fulham FC fan who attended his first game at four years old, Graham set up a Maidenhead over-50s football team a year-and-a-half ago.

They train every other Sunday at Cookham’s Alfred Major Recreation Ground and get together as much for the community as well as the football.

He was motivated to set up the team out of his love for the sport and its camaraderie.

He said: “I’ve played football all my life, and I missed the sort of banter and pitch-and-lockerroom humour, community spirit and chat that you get amongst the players.

“Now we’ve got a great bunch of people who train with us.”

Having played all of the other older players’ leagues in the area, including in Marlow, Oxfordshire, and Hazelmere,

Old Berks FC – which is a mixed team for men and women – went looking for more opportunities for friendly matches.

At the same time, Graham wanted to set up a national community to provide older football fans with opportunities and encouragement to join leagues in their areas.

He said that over 50s football, the ‘proper, traditional, outdoor running-around’ kind, is important for physical and mental health, helping people to stay active and connected to their communities.

He hopes the Over 50s Football Facebook page will fill the demand for more clubs and keep people playing.