Champions are ready to go again!

30 Nov 2016 By David Watters

Merthyr Town FC’s Welsh Walking Football champions have been flying the flag for the principality and the EVO-STIK League Southern at the inaugural British championships for the slower paced version of the beautiful game.

After triumphing at the Welsh National Tournament back in October, the over 55s side at the Martyrs are back from Hartlepool where they narrowly lost out to Scotland and England at the first ever UK National Walking Football Tournament.

Organised for the first time by Walking Football United at the Sports Domes in Hartlepool and already set to return next season in either Scotland or Wales, the tournament was won by Ryman League Herne Bay’s English champions.

According to proud officials at the Martyrs who’ve published a tribute to their champions in their matchday programm, losing all four of their matches 1-0 barely dampened their squad’s spirits when they teamed up with Herne Bay afterwards.

A spokesman said: “Following the tournament, Team England joined the Welsh squad back at their team hotel to enjoy a few drinks and a sing-a-long and this further emphasised the great camaraderie between all of the competing nations.”

Walking Football, the increasingly popular slower-paced version of the beautiful game aimed at the over 55s, has more than 500 teams playing around the UK. As the name suggests, anyone who sprints, runs or jogs while the ball is in play is penalised.

The Merthyr Town Walking Football initiative was launched at Penydarren Park back in September 2014 with support from the Football Association of Wales Trust and the local Active Merthyr Team. The FAW also helped the Martyrs enter and compete in Hartlepool, providing both the playing kits and travelling tracksuits for the players as well as picking up the cost of their coach travel to the North East in November.

Having grown hugely in popularity over the past two years with Thursday morning sessions on the club’s main 3G pitch at the LoadLok Community Stadium, two more weekly Walking Football sessions are now being run at other venues in the area.

For more information visit: www.walkingfootballunited.co.uk.

Images courtesy of Malcolm Johnson/Merthyr Town

Follow the EVO-STIK League Southern on Twitter at @SouthernLeague1

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