Friday mornings, indoors
Walking football
No running, no contact and no ball above the waist, in the hall at Pentre on Friday mornings at eleven. A lot harder than it sounds.
Walking football is football with one rule that changes everything: one foot on the floor at all times. It is played in the hall in Pentre on Fridays at eleven, on a small court, with a slightly under-pumped ball, and it will wear you out. Mostly women in their fifties, sixties and seventies, with a few who are younger and have bad knees.
There is no slide-tackling, no heading, and no running, and the referee will call you on it. Sessions last forty-five minutes with as many rests as you like, and the kettle goes on straight afterwards.
If your doctor has told you to move more, or you have had a new hip, or you simply used to play in the 1970s when nobody would let you, this is the one for you. Tell the coach about anything she ought to know.
What you get
- 45 minutes in the warm, Friday at 11am
- A coach who knows the rules and enforces them
- A low-bounce ball, bibs and water
- Tea and a chair afterwards
- A lift from the bottom of the valley if you need one
What it costs
First month free, then £3 a session. All the prices are on the sessions page, and come and try will tell you where to start.
Questions about walking football
I have not exercised in years.
Most of us had not. Start with ten minutes and sit down when you need to. If you have a heart condition or have been told to be careful, ask your GP first.
Is it only for older women?
No, you just need to want to walk it.
Turn up on Tuesday. That is genuinely the whole plan.
Seven o'clock at Cae Dderwen, in whatever you have got. Your first month costs nothing. Bethan will find you at the gate, and nobody will ask you what position you played in 2004.