The Ross Walking Footballers welcomed their Hereford counterparts at the Ross-on-Wye Sports Centre on Thursday, August 25th, and the Hereford side came away with a 5-1 victory.

The Ross and Hereford teams meet several times each year to play friendly games. The teams’ spirits were not dampened by the very wet weather; in an hour-long match both sides remained cheerful but determined.

Walking Football is designed to help people keep an active lifestyle irrespective of their age, as well as providing opportunities for people to get back into playing football who perhaps had to stop due to injuries.

There are a lot of rules which come into play in a walking football match. Passes need to be short, and well controlled. The ball should not bounce above knee height, so flat footballs are often used in matches. And, there is no running, only walking is allowed.

Ron Goulding runs the Ross Walking Football Club, he has done so for just over two years, after he saw another team playing it on television. On Thursday, however, Ron was unable to play due to an injury, but he came out to support his teammates.

The age range of the team is very diverse, players range from those in their early 50s, to their mid 70s. It is not only limited to men, women can also take part.

The Ross team meets up once a week to get together and play; they usually split the team in two, and play six-a-side matches.

Rick Castles scored the goal for Ross-on-Wye. The goal scorers for Hereford were Kyri Kyriakou (2) Mark Catlin, Markin Brooks and Steve Tippins.

Hereford’s victory means that they have now beaten all the Herefordshire teams, so they qualify for the National Cup; they will soon play against Kettering and Birmingham in highly-competitive fixtures.

Both the Ross-on-Wye and the Hereford teams would love to see some new players. If you are interested in playing for the Ross team, contact Ron on 01989 577913. To play for Hereford, contact Mark Catlin on 07756 108501.