Looks like my walking football comment has upset all the wokey snowflakes. It's really not the same as the paralympics chaps.
They need a team for people who aren’t old enough but can’t really be arsed running and would like to play at Loftus Road.
I’d never really seen any walking football so I’ve looked up a few clips. In all of them people seemed to be running (albeit slowly) to receive a pass, get into space and to beat a player. It looked more like football for people who can’t run very far or very fast than ‘walking’. Apparently defining walking is a massive issue within the game. Also you can tackle but it has to be no contact. Come again? They probably need VAR and at least 8 match officials to keep it clean. Some good skills on display from some of the old porkers though.
In Middx leagues, running is a free kick, third time caught and it’s a blue card and sin bin of a determined length. I must confess I found the concept a bit strange and joked with a mate who played. His side were short a player one week, I stepped in and found it great for, a good way to exorcise and gain some good friends along the way. I play for another team as well as QPR who are in a league, it’s competitive and the quality always getting better. It actually has a skill set of its own, such as passing needs to be better cause you can’t run to get a bad pass. We play three touches only which concentrates the mind . Also, the camaraderie created before and after games is something I missed.
I've played in vets games where people run very slowly or hardly at all. I just don't see the point of having to invent a whole new game which bans running altogether.
Create a level playing field for all participants I guess. A fit 70 year old who can run a bit is going to stuff an obese immobile 50 year old in a normal game, walking football means they can play in the same game. Though why the fit 70 year old would bother is a bit of a mystery. The more I look at it the more I suspect the social side of it is important, as Wherever hints. Perhaps the name ‘walking football’ is just less intimidating for some to give it a go - it. Sounds gentle and sedate. Though the evidence of YouTube would indicate that, as always with blokes of a certain age, some take it way too seriously. Harmless stuff. If a few of them combined it with a diet it might actually do them some good.
Some predictably condescending comments on here. I know people who play walking football and basically they're people who love the game, but just can't run much. This is mainly due to joint problems etc. I've watched a couple of games and there was a lot of talent on show. Football isn't all about kick and run. Admittedly, if you never had a decent touch or weren't able to pick out a pass, you'd struggle. The blokes I watched were all obviously decent ex-players. I've been asked to play, but my hip prevented me previously and now can't risk falling onto the new hip. If it's not your bag, fair enough, but why call it "ridiculous"?
Arsenal looked nervy, but got the job done. Can't see City dropping any points, but you never know which Spurs will turn up on Tuesday.
