‘Even at our age, everybody wants to win’: The over-70s Welsh footballers making sporting history

Wales' very first over-70s football international took place in Briton Ferry on Thursday this week.

The historic Wales v England fixture is thought to be only the second-ever over-70s international game globally.England went on to defeat Wales 2-0 in what was said to be a "hard fought game,” but both teams were out to prove that there is no such thing as retirement when it comes to the beautiful game.

79-year-old Welsh midfielder Keith Beardmore is the oldest squad member and says he feels “proud” to be part of such a momentous fixture.

The moment we meet Keith Beardmore, the oldest player in the Welsh squad

The very first over-70s international was held last year at St. George's Park, the home of England’s national football teams. So successful was the encounter that it was to be repeated this week on Welsh soil.

The Welsh over-70s squad is drawn from around eight clubs in south Wales that regularly play each other in elite competitions.

And, according to the Welsh captain Handley Brustad, there is no shortage of ambition when it comes to playing elite football into your 70s.

“It’s still competitive, even at our age, everybody wants to win,” he said.

Welsh captain Handley Brustad and English captain Rob Beel discuss the age-old sporting rivalry and the joy of playing football into your 70s

But despite the rivalry, there is a “great bond between England and Wales” both on and off the pitch, said Ken Pollock, the manager of the England over-70s football team.

“There’s a rivalry but it’s an honest rivalry, and the Welsh have got a very good system here for their veterans football,” he said.

The FAW-affiliated Wales Veterans Football Association organise fixtures for age groups from over-40 all the way up to the over-70s.

“One of the important things about what we’re trying to do is to encourage people to stay fit because the way to support the NHS is for older people to keep themselves healthy, to keep themselves active,” said Mr Pollock.

He explained: "When people can see that there are players of this age, 70 and above, still running around playing football, you know, playing 90 minutes of football, it’s a great incentive for people to keep themselves fit and see if other people can do it, surely I can as well."

As well as the physical benefits of playing football, many of the players say the camaraderie and social aspect of training and playing together is vital – particularly after the pandemic.

Mental wellbeing is something that the Wales Veterans have prioritised in particular, according to captain Handley Brustad.

He said: "There's a lot of work done on socialising with some members who probably don't have anything else to look forward to.

"It keeps their mind active. Apart from keeping the legs going and breathing, we all just want to make sure that everyone is ok.

"And that applies to both sides."

Both teams will now be looking ahead to August for the ‘70+ World Cup’ in Denmark, where they are set to face the likes of Germany, Japan, Taiwan.