Walking Football League Recap in Newcastle, UK

Walking Football League Recap in Newcastle, UK

The third edition of the Walking Football Tournament took place on Wednesday, 31st of May, in Newcastle, UK.

In the third edition of the tournament, 16 clubs, consisting of 18 teams, participated with players aged 50 years and more. All the matches were played at Cochrane Park, which is a centre for Physical Recreation & Sport in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

A day before the tournament, all the football players, including the organizers, had dinner at the stadium and used the time to socialise with other players. After the tournament, everyone had an opportunity to enjoy their 2nd dinner at the same place – the stadium.

In total, the tournament consisted of 60 matches representing both regular and fair-play games. Newcastle United Foundation Team 1 won the cup, placing Schalke Hilft! in the 2nd place, followed by Greenock Morton Community Trust taking the 3rd place. When it comes to the fair-play game, Rangers Charity Foundation took 1st place.

After receiving the medals and the cup, all the players took a group picture together with their coaches to mark the 3rd edition of the Walking Football League as a successful event. Last but not least, 7 referees were responsible for managing the football matches to prevent any disruptions. The matches wouldn’t be possible without the referees

After the successful tournament in Newcastle, the participants and organisers are looking forward to the next edition.

Walking Football League Project

The European Walking  Football League is a tournament, initiated by EFDN and Partners that brings community-engaged football clubs in order to deliver a program that increases physical activity levels and improves social cohesion and inclusion for people aged 50 and more. In addition, the Walking Football League gives an opportunity to players to lead a physically and socially-active lifestyle in their European communities. One of the main goals of this project is to further develop Walking Football as a sustainable sport in Europe and raise the profile of the game. 

Project Partners

• Vålerenga Fotball (Olso, Norway)
• Ferencvárosi  Torna Club (Budapest, Hungary)
• Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Leverkusen, Germany)
• Rangers Charity Foundation (Glasgow, UK)
• Fundação Benfica (Lisbon, Portugal)
• Real Betis Balompié Foundation (Seville, Spain)
• FC Schalke 04 (Gelsenkirchen, Germany)
• Morton in the Community (Greenock, UK)
• Newcastle United Foundation (Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK)