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Anybody got any clue what this is about??
did you read it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nakedmanoncrack
its clearly an attempt to get men in the years most unlikely to talk, talking and building a support network.
it can only be a good thing.
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Could be a quiet night.
It is about Mental Health
What I don't get is why Hibs aren't represented in the walking football community. There are currently around 60 walking football teams and nearly 2000 players currently playing walking football in Scotland and more teams are being added all the time.
The Scottish walking football association AKA 'Walking football Scotland' was inaugurated in December 2017 with the support of the SFA, SPFL, the Scottish government, Age Scotland and other partners. Organisation of a Scotland wide league under their banner is already being planned, this will almost certainly be regionalised. They will also be running a Scottish national team .... club competitions are already being run all around Europe and a Euro championships for national teams is in the offing. I myself have already played in a tournament in Portugal.
The Scottish cup is now in its 3rd year and 32 teams took part in the latest competition on Glasgow green, it also included a team representing 'BBC Sportsound' which included Frank McAvennie, Joe Miller, Barry Ferguson and Chic Young amongst others. Hilariously McAvennie pulled out of the Sportsound team after elbowing a Hearts player in the pus who was giving him too much attention :greengrin
My club Gala Fairydean Rovers took part in the very first Scottish league organised by north Lanarkshire council .... we came a creditable 4th of 10 teams after 18 matches .... but here's the kicker .... the first and second places were taken by the two teams entered by Heart of Midlothian, they regularly have around 50 players attending their weekly sessions and can put out two very strong teams, all games are 6 a side and 3 touch.
The strongest teams around at the moment to my knowledge are Hearts and Midlothian/Loanhead, who won the aforementioned Scottish cup .... Gretna and Saints in the community ( AKA St Johnstone ) also have pretty strong teams. The point here is that I don't want to see the Scottish league once it gets going dominated by bloody Hearts .. after they won the league organised by NLC they even had a photocall on the pitch at Tynecastle with Ann bloody Budge FFS.
Gala Fairydean Rovers, a club with more than its fair share of Hibbies by the way, is never going to be strong enough to compete with the strongest teams, we don't have enough players and we have next to none with past experience of even decent level amateur football, even now we are starting to lose to teams we have beaten previously who have grown and become stronger. In view of which I would urge the Hibs fit guys who I know do play walking football because I've played against them to get their bottoms in gear and start entering a team into competitions ... surely they would be able to attract enough players with a proper footballing background that they could challenge the Yams walking footballers.
Apart from that ... at the age of 50+ years old it would be a final chance to pull on that famous green & white jersey and say, without it even being a lie ..... I play for Hibernian football club. Who the hell wouldn't want that?
I should add here that all joking aside though, the Hearts walking football lads are a decent bunch :greengrin
It seems to me that Walking football addresses many of the issues Hibs are trying to cover here. We have 25 folk playing at Gala and the sense of community and being part of something is incredibly beneficial to all of our members. We don't ask folk what their individual circumstances are, but I'm positive that we have a few folk whose quality of life has been improved immeasurably by being part of our club, not only socially, but health wise as well ..... not to mention we have a number of piss ups during the year which are hugely enjoyed by everybody :greengrin
I know I have kind of hijacking the thread, but as I said I'm sure this goes towards the kind of thing Hibs are looking to achieve here .... If you have ever kicked a football, or even if you haven't but fancy a go, I cant recommend strongly enough getting involved in walking football.
Oh and by the way ..... If you think its a load of dottery auld farts stumbling about after a ball join a team and play in a tournament, the rules are being adapted all the time to minimise over physical challenges, but even so your bumps bruises, strains aches and pains, not to mention the quality of football will soon put you right on that account ..... but that's all part of the fun ... its BRILLIANT :aok:
Im sure hibs have or had a couple of walking football teams, the most recent playing at Portobello high school on a Wed night. Dont think it was competitive though, ie league set up, think it was more a get off yer erse, fitness kinda thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
When i done the healthy Hibby & football fans in training had teams when i done it a couple of years back. Not sure if they still have teams, maybe somebody involved can comment.
Keep meaning to go back to the training nights at ER on a Tuesday.
All walking football sessions are like that mate, there's no obligation or expectation for players or groups to enter tournaments. We have quite a few lads who love playing in our twice weekly sessions but aren't so interested in the competitive side of things.Quote:
Originally Posted by happyhibbie
Walking football Scotland have a facebook page where folk can check out all of the current developments.
My diatribe .... sorry, I mean insightful and considered post .... was really prompted by my surprise ( disappointment actually ) that so far there hasn't been a team playing under the Hibs banner represented at any of the tournaments I've played in. I know Edinburgh City have a team, though I haven't seen them yet either.
Walking football is growing all the time and though the Scottish league I played in was a small affair and will soon be an afterthought as the far bigger league organised by WF Scotland gets underway, the fact is the first and second placed teams in it were both called Hearts and played in Hearts strips. As a Hibby and enthusiastic WF player I don't want to see the first ever truly Scotland wide League won by a Hearts team and there's a good chance that could happen ..... hence my enthusiasm to see a Hibs team at tournaments, hopefully a good one :greengrin
The good news is that the original tournament organised by Age Scotland over three years ago which has now become the annual Scottish Cup tournament was won by a team of Hibs fit lads ... meaning they can reasonably make a claim to have won the first ever Scottish cup :aok:
As I said in my OP the new league will be regionalised with the likelihood being that the south east of Scotland, probably including Fife, will include at least two of the strongest teams in Scotland Hearts and Midlothian/Loanhead .. hopefully if everything works out fixtures will be played once a month at Oriam. It would be nice to see a Hibs team taking part.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
Keith Wright's involved in the Midlothian/Loanhead team I think, as part of his council sports development job.
Personally I can barely walk along the Prom without getting strains & bruises, so trying to kick a footie at the same time would be madness.
GG
Have you contacted Hibs to make them aware of this?Quote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
I’ve a friend who plays for one of the Hearts teams, they had them on the park before one of their home games recently
No I haven't, but I would have thought the club would be well aware of the walking football situation .... especially as the sport in many ways can help with some of the type of life situations the club appear to be looking to address with this initiative.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Whizz
AFAIK but I could be wrong, Hearts don't have any input into the WF team that carries their name, apart from to bask in the glory and perhaps provide cast off strips I suppose :greengrin
The Hearts team train on the ground behind the wheat field should and, and get to use the changing groundsQuote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
I’ll ask one of the Fans directors on your behalf
Ha ha, get what you mean pal ... I was 55 when I took part in my first WF session and I only lasted half an hour of an hour long session before my lungs, legs and everything else said NO MORE !!! Now I can play 3 X 18 minute competitive tournament games inside an hour with little problem and I still smoke, drink and eat just as much, if not more, than I ever did .... even then I've dropped about two stone in 2.5 years with no exercise apart from the walking football.Quote:
Originally Posted by Malthibby
Never say never :greengrin
Says on here their is a team based at East MainsQuote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
https://www.walkingfootballunited.co.uk/scotland-active
Cheers mate ..... I'm pretty sure the Hibs fit guys or whatever they are now do play walking football, just not at tournaments. As I said I have ulterior motives for wanting to see a good Hibs team getting involved in tournaments. Not for myself you understand, I already belong to a well run and well established club, who in actual fact would probably drop down the local pecking order a wee bit if Hibs had a decent tournament team.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Whizz
My problem is I have to accept that a club of our size cant put a team on the park as strong as the Jambos ... but my Hibs leanings wont allow me to not get a bit miffed watching folk in Hearts strips lifting trophies ... hence my need to see a Hibs team on the park :greengrin
I’ve just texted Frank, he’s going to get me some infoQuote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
Let you know when I hear back in the next day or so
OK ... see my edit though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Whizz
No worries, let you know anywayQuote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
Its bloody hard going, I thought, walking, kicking a ball, will be a breeze, could barely walk for days after it, great fun though 😆👍Quote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
Yes, of course I read it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Just Jimmy
And I don't doubt it is a positive thing, but sorry nothing in this tells me what they want my views & ideas on, looks like I'll have to go along to find out.
Life can be a bit like a game of football, and it’s important that we enjoy the experience as much as possible!
If you’re a man in your middle years (30-65), come and join us at Easter Road Stadium for a pie and a blether about things that are important to you and help you keep connected with your family, pals and work mates.
We’re also looking for your views and ideas to help with the development of a new programme for men in their middle years. This is the beginning of ‘The Changing Room’ partnership.
Shame they can't spell Hibernian correctly! Just over 3 more years and I'll be signing up for this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Billy Whizz
:agree: ...... I think that's what folk thinking of giving it a go don't appreciate. You might be playing at walking pace, but the effort required to control the ball, kick the ball and find space is just as hard in the context of folk age 50 and over as it is for 'younger folk playing the 'normal' game. In fact because most, in fact all, tournaments are played using the 3 touch rule control, accurate passing and movement are even more important than they would be normally. If you miscontrol the ball or somebody overhits a pass its not like you can run after the bloody thing :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by happyhibbie
The other thing I would say is that to anybody watching it might look like you are walking, but on the pitch itself it sure as hell doesn't feel like that. I would imagine the difference is in the same ballpark as the comparison between an ordinary person walking down the street and an athletics 'walker' ... its walking Jim, but not as we know it :greengrin
Why wait? I cant think of a single walking football team who would bump someone because they are under 50 .. your only problem would be that you will be excluded from playing in the majority of tournaments until you reach 50. At Gala Fairydean Rovers our youth programme consists of a 42 year old and a 49 year old :greengrin but both are included in friendlies against other clubs.Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinfaePorty
Still trying to play with the young ones for now! Been running an amateur team for about 20 years, but this year might be my last as limited to the odd 10 minute cameo these days.Quote:
Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE
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