League of Ireland Walking Football Festival to kick off this Saturday
As the League of Ireland season reaches the halfway point with clubs vying for the title at one end and battling to avoid relegation at the other, a gentler, less stressful version of football is being enjoyed by older fans of those same clubs.
This Saturday, 14 June will see the second League of Ireland Walking Football festival at the National Indoor Arena at Abbotstown where almost 150 players representing twelve LOI clubs will wear their team colours and participate in an event where the primary aim is not just to win, but to continue to enhance their physical, mental and social well-being.
Walking Football has been growing rapidly in Ireland with many grassroots groups forming countrywide. Indeed, with Ireland’s growing population of older adults, Walking Football is now seen as an ideal vehicle to promote health and well-being and combat social isolation among this ever-expanding demographic.
Many of the LOI groups also feature female players happy to share a pitch with the guys which is testament to the non-contact element of the game. One such player is former Irish International, Linda Gorman who enjoys playing weekly with the Bohemians’ Walking Football group.
With the advent of LOI clubs employing Football & Social Responsibility (FSR) Officers in recent times, Walking Football is one of the programmes they keenly promote and as such, there has been an increase in the number of LOI clubs participating from nine in 2024 to twelve clubs in this latest LOI festival.
Clubs have also acknowledged the support of agencies such as Healthy Ireland, Age & Opportunity and various Local Authorities who have been instrumental in helping the FSR Officers establish their roles and promote and develop health promotion programmes such as this.
On the pitch, 31 matches will be played from 13:00 in a state-of-the-art indoor 4G pitch facility with age-old club rivalries and local derbies being played out by an older generation of protagonists. Indeed, some clubs will also feature former LOI players lending that additional touch of technical class to the games.
Although winning the tournament may be an aim for some, it’s not the be all and end all for most as the real winners will be every club participating and the players renewing or forming new friendships and social networks.
League of Ireland Football & Social Responsibility Manager Derek O’Neill said: “I’m really looking forward to our second LOI Walking Football festival and if it’s as good as last year, I’m very sure everyone will leave with a big smile on their face. It’s always great to see the energy and enthusiasm generated among this group of players, not only on the pitch but in the social interaction and banter off the pitch. There’ll be players in their 50s (the youngest will be 55), 60s 70s and even some 80+ year olds playing on Saturday and it goes to show that football is still playable and enjoyable no matter what age you are! It’s an amazing way to maintain physical and mental health and the players today are testament to the power of the beautiful game to create and build important social networks.”
Clearly, age is just a number and this is illustrated by this remarkable group of players who have now extended the traditional Player Pathway well beyond traditional retirement age. For most of this group, retirement from football is just not in their thinking!
Media are also invited to attend if interested and can register via [email protected]
