Walking football club Charterlands United is recruiting players to join their team, which is aimed at over 50-year-olds and hopes to make football accessible for all.
Steve Comley, one of the creators of Charterlands, said: “The club is going from strength to strength with interest to play at Modbury coming from other similar clubs throughout the South West.
“It’s a great game to play and the ladies, perhaps gaining recent inspiration from the recent success of the lionesses, seem particularly keen to learn how to play.”
The club was created after a conversation started in the Journeys End pub in Ringmore, Kingsbridge about the ‘good old days’ of ‘having a kick about’.
Steve added: “It seems that once your children leave school or you move into a different area or simply as time goes by you become less active and more isolated.”
The team is based around the ‘Three Fs’ – Fun, Fitness and Friendship, and all are welcome to join.
At the moment they are focusing on gaining more players and getting sponsors to aid their team.
Currently, participants play for the team with disabilities as Parkinsons disease, MDS, Prostrate cancer, replacement knees and hips, heart attack and related issues, diabetes, epilepsy and so on.
Steve said: “We are keen to attract and develop the availability to pan-disabled groups whilst attracting any sponsorship in exchange for advertising and marketing.”
The team use a Justplay pitch, which was created by England Football to encourage more people to just turn up and play.
The team is now a constituted club affiliated to the Devon Football Association and also members of the Walking Football Association.
They have a qualified level 1 FA coach who organises and manages all sessions, which are currently played at Modbury Recreation Ground or at an indoor venue should weather dictate.
Though the sessions are weekly on a Thursday afternoon consideration is being given to meet demand to enable play in the evening too.
The club has now develped a Charterlands ladies team too, and a competitive team has emerged.
Aside from regular friendly matches against other local teams, Charterlands United WFC has joined an FA controlled league.
If you are interested in learning more contact the club at [email protected] or visit the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/charterlandsunitedwfc