NEWS: FA set to develop walking football strategy

The FA has completed a tour of the UK that will enable them to develop a walking football strategy for 2018 and beyond.

The strategy, which will aim to boost participation and enable walking football to continue to have a positive impact in the community, will be unveiled in the new year.

It is hoped that, since The FA consulted players across eight regional centres, this development will help to shape the future direction of the game in a way that represents the needs and wishes of those playing the game.

A spokesperson for The FA said: “Following the growth of walking football over the past few years, The FA is committed to ensuring that this game is appropriately supported in order to ensure its positive impact can be felt for many years to come.”

Loughborough Dynamos rounded off a month-long charity initiative by staging a match to raise funds for the Movember Foundation.

Players spent the full month growing ‘taches for the cause, and showcased them during an exhibition match against Leicester People Football.

Spectators were asked to provide a minimum donation of £3 towards the Movember Foundation.

Movember has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the foundation aiming to raise money to support the awareness of men’s health.

It addresses topics such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health and suicide prevention.

Chester’s walking football club is set to benefit from a new all-weather pitch thanks to a grant from the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund.

The pitch is based at Blacon High School and is shared with, among others, the school’s teams, the Chester and Destrict Football League and Chester FC’s community trust. The FA Facilities Fund aims to provide community sports programmes with the finances they need to develop and maintain their facilities.

The original sand-based pitch had been in place for more than 10 years and was in a poor state of repair, inevitably making players more prone to injury.

Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation, said: “These facilities are hubs of physical activity, the bedrock of local communities and homes from home for so many who also use them as social outlets to learn new skills, gain work experience and other qualifications.”