England Walking Football – December Newsletter

A Festive Finish from the England Walking Football Committee

As the year draws to a close, December has provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on what has been a landmark year for England Walking Football—while keeping one eye firmly on the exciting future ahead. Across all squads, the standards, commitment, and passion shown by our players, coaches, and volunteers continue to raise the bar. Recent training camps have once again highlighted the strength of our pathways, with excellent attendance, high-quality sessions, and a real sense of unity across age groups and squads.

Our women’s programme continues to go from strength to strength following the recent management appointments. With clear structure, consistency, and progression now firmly in place, every women’s squad is benefiting from dedicated, high-quality coaching and support as we move into the new year.

On the men’s side, the Over-50s trials have now taken place, setting the standards for the year ahead and marking the start of an exciting rebuild. The quality, commitment, and competitiveness on display underlined the depth of talent available and laid strong foundations for what promises to be a highly talented England Men’s Over-50s team. Alongside this, the other men’s squads continue to build and go from strength to strength, carrying strong momentum from a positive year. With standards rising and confidence growing across all age groups, all eyes are now firmly on the World Masters next August.

As we move out of the festive period and into a new year, we would like to thank everyone involved in England Walking Football for their dedication and support throughout the year. We hope you’ve had the chance to rest and recharge, and are ready for what comes next. 2026 is fast approaching and shaping up to be another huge chapter for England Walking Football.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year, and we look forward to seeing you all soon.

Bring on 2026!

💪 December Training Round-Up

December may have marked the final month of the year, but the commitment and energy across England Walking Football remained as strong as ever.

Our Men’s Over-60s and Over-65s continued to train hard at Castle Vale, maintaining high standards right through to the end of the year. The session was followed by well-earned food and drinks in the bar, a great opportunity to reflect on a successful year and enjoy time together as a squad.

The Women’s Over-40s were put through their paces in a tough but highly constructive friendly against a strong men’s team from Solihull Moors. The game provided an excellent test and valuable learning experience—our thanks go to Solihull Moors for their support and competitive spirit.

Meanwhile, our Women’s Over-50s and Over-60s squads enjoyed a fun, festive session, packed with Christmassy games and challenges, bringing the year to a close in great spirits while still keeping the football flowing.

December also saw the Men’s Over-50s trials take place, marking an important step forward as foundations continue to be laid for 2026. The standard, intensity, and commitment on display highlighted the depth of talent within the pathway and set the tone for the year ahead. A fantastic way to round off a brilliant year of progress—bring on what’s next.

⚽ Club success 

This month, Men's O65s assistant manager, Mark Potts celebrated winning the top division of the Hampshire Walking Football League with his team Salisbury WF. 

Well done to Mark and his teammates! 

🛒 Kit Orders Online

You can order England Walking Football kit packages and separate additional items directly from our website. This now includes the option of a brand new personalised kit bag, the bags are a great size with a separate boot compartment in the bottom, perfect for tournament travel. 👉 Order Here

⚽ Governance 

Just a reminder that all policies and procedures can be found in our EWF Men and EWF Women's sections of our website. We're always looking for volunteers with particular skills and expertise that can help us to progress. If you have any questions, or would like to know more, please email: keeley@englandwalkingfootball.co.uk

📍 January and February Training 

Women's training

🗓 Sunday, February 1st

🕐 12:30 - 14:30 Women's O40s, 50s and 60s 

📍 Castle Vale Stadium, Farnborough Rd, Birmingham, B35 7LQ

Men's training

🗓 Sunday, January 4th

🕐 12:00 - 14:00 Men's 40s (friendly against O50s)

📍 David Ross Sports Village, Beeston Lane, Nottingham, NG7 2RD

🗓 Sunday, February 8th

🕐 12:30 - 14:30 Men's 050s, O60s, O65s and 070s

📍 Castle Vale Stadium, Farnborough Rd, Birmingham, B35 7LQ

⚽ Two venues with top-quality 3G pitches, changing rooms, free parking and a bar for an obligatory pint afterwards!

🎉AGM & Awards (ticket only)

🗓  January, 17th 2026 - EWF AGM and Awards evening, including sit down meal and DJ

📍Great Barr Hotel, Birmingham

Please feel free to arrive from 6pm. The AGM will commence promptly at 7pm.  

📆 Tournament and Fixture Calendar - 2026

You will have seen on Spond that we're working hard behind the scenes to fill up the diary for 2026, ensuring there is plenty of football for everyone. There will be more to come as we're building relationships with other nations all of the time. Please remember to indicate your availability on Spond and be reminded that this doesn't guarantee selection. Please hold off booking travel and accommodation until you hear from your team manager. 

We appreciate there is a lot planned and that not everyone will be able to attend every event, we want to ensure there is a variety of opportunities at different costs and times of year so that there is something for everyone. 

EWF's priority will be the Masters World Cup in August - please ensure you keep this free as your managers will want to select their strongest squads. 

⚽ Show your support 

On Tuesday 13th January our O70s will be playing the England Parkinson's team at Curzon Ashton FC. If you're able to attend and show your support, please do.

On the day of our AGM and Awards night, our women will be playing the IWFF Wales teams at Castle Vale. Why not pop there to show your support before heading on to the hotel, it's only a short hop away.

📣 Let’s Grow Together – Follow & Share!

Please follow and share our pages to help our Walking Football community thrive.

• 🌐 Website: https://www.englandwalkingfootball.co.uk
• 👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570737868294
• 🧑‍💼 LinkedIn: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570737868294
• 🐦 X: https://x.com/englandwalking?s=21&t=eXYr7COnFBI91yKxAyOYLg
• ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EnglandWalkingFootball

📸 Your content matters — whether it’s a photo, a match result, or a great moment, help us celebrate everyone fairly by sending in updates, especially during tournaments!

💷 Support Us for Free – Easy Fundraising

Support England Walking Football every time you shop online — at no cost to you!

How It Works:

1. Sign up for free: Easy Fundraising - England Walking Football (EWF)
2. Shop as usual through the platform
3. Retailers donate a portion of your spend to us!

Your support helps fund more training, equipment, and opportunities.

Scan the QR code below or visit: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/england-walking-football-ewf

Stay Connected & Get Involved

We value your voice. Got ideas, feedback, or want to get involved? Reach out via our website or on social media.

Thanks for being a valued member of the England Walking Football community.

Stay active. Stay connected. Keep walking with purpose!

⚽🚶‍♂️– The England Walking Football Committee