The Strollers give women a taste of walking football

The club, founded in 2014, are running three sessions at Summerhill School in Kingswinford to get a feel for the demand in the area for women’s walking football.

And if the first is anything to go by, the demand is clearly very high – with 21 players turning up on a bitterly cold Sunday morning and Mayor of Dudley Councillor Anne Millward kicking off the action, quite literally.

“We’d hoped it was going to be as good as that but a bit dubious about the weather,” said Hartshill Strollers vice-president Bob Haywood. “But we were absolutely delighted.”

Councillor Millward added: “It was such a joy to take part in the walking football and to meet some of the women at Hartshill Strollers, who are looking to start a women’s side for the club.

“Being active and taking part in sport is something that’s so important to physical and mental wellbeing at any age and I would certainly encourage other women to come forward and try out walking football for themselves.”

While open to players of all abilities, Hartshill got two teams to the Walking Football Association National Cup finals in the over-60 and over-65 age groups for men earlier this season.

And with three of their more-than 80 members being women – including England Over-50s international Tracy Dudwell – it gave them the idea of starting a women’s walking football group, opening it up to those over the age of 40.

“It doesn’t surprise us that women can play as well as men, but they haven’t had the opportunity,” added Haywood. “In 20 years this will be a completely redundant conversation because so many girls and women are playing football now that they will have a legacy and heritage of having played.

“What we are trying to do is getting women of this particular age into football for the first time.”

The remaining session – which is free and open to women aged 40 or over – takes place on Sunday from 11am until 12pm, also at Summerhill School. Players can turn up on the day, or for more information contact Jay Adams on 07921 174074 or hartshillwomanswfc@outlook.com. Those who attend will be invited to sign up with the club as paying members in 2022.

Adams, 58, said: “Playing football has played a big part in my life and I still really enjoy it, so I want other women to enjoy it too.

“It’s great exercise, and I enjoyed playing in the same teams as the men at Hartshill Strollers. They have been very welcoming. But the club committee feels the time is right to start a women’s section and I am proud to have been asked to play the lead role in the launch.

“We are looking for women over 40 who would like to play walking football – almost certainly for the first time – whether socially, for exercise or competitively.”