Sport of walking football 'progressing well' on Island

Isle of Man facing national teams at tournament this weekend

It's believed the sport of walking football is progressing well on the Isle of Man as the Manx squad prepares to take on national opponents this weekend.

Local players are due to head to the Airbus Sports Complex in Chester this Sunday (6 April) to take on Wales and Northern Ireland in a series of matches.

The Isle of Man Walking Football Association thinks being able to test their skills at international events like the one in two days time has helped things move forward significantly.

However, coach Tony Sewell and Mike Sharpe from the association say they've seen a recent drop in participation levels, something they hope can be addressed going forward:

The Isle of Man first faced one of their opponents this weekend - Wales - back in 2019 where they suffered a humbling 13-0 defeat at the hands of Wales.

Despite this, at the same tournament the Manx Over-70's squad managed to take a stunning narrow 1-0 win over a strong England side.

Local talent in the sport has also made its mark elsewhere with Governors Athletic player Stephen Falconer being called up to represent England on multiple occasions.

The association's chairman Graham Cain further comments: "Our sport continues to grow and there’s no better time to restart a football career. We have more, exciting tournaments later in the year, home and away at County FA and regional, FA  league level all topped off with a September, home fixture against mighty England.”

“Walking Football can be life changing. We have regular sessions and welcome those who want to revive their careers regardless of the  level of skill and mobility. Easy paced social football is available right through to the tantalising prospect of playing at International level.”

Anyone interested in trying out walking football on Island is welcome to attend any of the weekly training sessions.

They take place at 12.30pm at The Bowl in Douglas on Mondays and Thursdays and at 6pm at St John's United Football Club on Wednesdays.