Walking football chair's pride in club growth

The chairman of a walking football club said he wants to "get people off their settees and out in the fresh air playing football".

In the seven months since it was established, Stratford Walking Football Club has grown to 133 members, and four of them have represented England.

Paul Clarke, the chairman, said when he set the club up there was "not a lot of walking football in Warwickshire" and seeing it grow was "just amazing".

He said he had seen a lot of friendships form and walking football brought both physical and mental health benefits for those taking part.

Clarke said he started playing walking football at his local leisure centre two years ago and "really enjoyed it".

He said he had not kicked a ball for 30 years before that and found it was quicker than he expected.

"It's more jogging football," he added.

After signing for Solihull Moors and playing in the Birmingham Premier League, he was rewarded with the chance to play for England last March.

Clarke said: "I'd describe it as kind of a 50-year-old man reliving his childhood dreams."

Although the experience was "nerve-wracking", he said: "You just pull on that shirt and it does make all the difference to you."

When he moved from Solihull to a village close to Stratford-upon-Avon three years ago, he said he found there were not many opportunities to play walking football in the county.

"I thought there was just a bit of a gap," he said.

He emailed the chairman of Stratford Town FC and was surprised by how supportive the club was.

"That's big for us because we want to get people off their settees and out in the fresh air playing football," he said.

Clarke has been pleased with the growth of the club since the summer, and said players are now "going out on a Saturday night and having a beer together".

Stratford will be represented in the England over-40s squad that has travelled to play Spain on Sunday and Clarke said he would like his club to now grow further.

He is particularly keen to recruit more women.

He said: "I often think that there are a lot of people sat at home, good footballers that aren't enjoying playing football.

"We want more players to come along and really enjoy what we've created."

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