Walking Football: the Fleet club improving fitness and health in the older generation

Walking Football- a sport that's been growing in popularity over recent years and especially during the current pandemic as the importance of fitness becomes even more apparent.
Walking Football- a sport that's been growing in popularity over recent years and especially during the current pandemic as the importance of fitness becomes even more apparent. Credit: ITV News Meridian

Walking Football- a sport that's been growing in popularity over recent years and especially during the current pandemic as the importance of fitness becomes even more apparent.

The sport enables people to play the game at a gentler pace.

John Palmer is one of the more senior members of the Fleet of Foot Walking Football Club.

At the age of 80, he's enjoying the beautiful game as much as he did during his late teens when he embarked on an amateur playing career.

  • John Palmer, Fleet of Foot Walking Football:

Walking Football is a relatively new form of the national game, aimed at helping those over 50 continue to play.

It's grown in popularity this year as an ideal way to keep fit when that's been more challenging during periods of lockdown.

Walking Football is growing in popularity Credit: ITV News Meridian

This club in Fleet fields four teams across two pitches twice a week, there's a ladies team too, but they're welcome at these sessions as well.

Proof that just when you might think your playing career is all over, it's most certainly not.