Chesterfield hosts the International Walking Football Federation World Championships this weekend
The fixtures are set to start today
Chesterfield is all set to host the International Walking Football Federation World Championships.
From today until Sunday, the best walking footballers will play at the SMH Group Stadium, which's the home of Chesterfield FC.
Fifteen nations will be represented at the tournament, featuring 54 men’s and women’s teams, with the likes of Australia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Peru and the hosts, England all taking part.
The championships coincide with the unveiling of a blue plaque at the stadium, commemorating the role of Chesterfield FC Community Trust in the creation of walking football.
Walking football has captured the hearts of many and offers a unique twist on the traditional game. It allows those who love football to continue playing into their later years, promoting fitness, camaraderie, and a competitive spirit without the impact and strain of running.
John Croot, chief executive of the club and Community Trust, came up with the idea for a walking version of football for an ‘Extra Time’ initiative aimed at people aged 55 and over. It has since become a very popular sport around the world.
John Croot is the Chief Executive of Chesterfield FC:
"There's around 15 countries coming to North Derbyshire for this.
"It'll be great. We'll be marking the pitch out into four pitches, so four games can be played simultaneously across different groups.
"15 years ago, we came up with the concept of walking football, as we wanted to make the sport accessible to older people.
"Little did we know it would become one of, if not the fastest growing sport in the world.
"Now there's walking rugby, walking netball, and they're all inspired by what was started in Chesterfield 15 years ago.
"We googled at the time, and nobody was doing it anywhere.
"Sport England told me some years ago that 100,000 people were playing it in England alone.
"That's phenomenal when you consider it began as part of a community project at Chesterfield football club."
There's more information on the link below:
https://chesterfield-fc.co.uk/news/iwff-world-championships-at-the-smh-group-stadium-this-weekend