HISTORY

Walking football started in Winchester in about 2015/16 and was organised by Winchester City Council. Weekly sessions were held at the River Park Leisure Centre and run by students seconded to the council. The match fees were subsidised by the council and the number of attendees ranged from about six to 24.

 

Friendly matches were arranged over the following five years against other teams, including Southampton Strollers, Eastleigh, Knightswood, Bournemouth and Romsey and the Winchester side went under the name King Alfred’s Foot Soldiers.

 

The club also entered teams in occasional tournaments at various venues including Eastleigh FC. Among the initial players were John Smith, Chris O’Neill, Jeff Lough, Mark Rowe and Steve Byrne. The first student coach was Pedro Viveiros followed by Tom Crowe, Lizzie Butcher, Zoe Silverthorne, Andy Moore, George Barnes, Matthew Craig, Chloe Davanna, and Hampshire FA representative Jake Ashton.

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The COVID pandemic in 2020 curtailed sessions at River Park as the Government introduced lockdown measures. Several of the players kept in touch and continued to meet informally during the year. When restrictions were lifted finally in April 2021 the city council announced they would no longer be organising walking football sessions.

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The group of players who had stayed in touch decided to form their own club and to play at the Winchester University Stadium at Bar End. They held their first weekly session there on Tuesday 20 April when 17 players took part.

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Winchester Walking Football Club was formed in April 2021 and held its first session at the Winchester University Stadium at Bar End on Tuesday 20 April when 17 players took part.

 

An organising committee of five was nominated with Brian Mustoe as chairman, Sue Hume secretary, Derek O’Garr treasurer, Richard Tate health and safety, Steve Smith member without portfolio. It was agreed to be a closed membership with a maximum of 25 members initially because of logistical arrangements due to COVID restrictions.

 

A block booking was arranged for the rest of the year, the club affiliated to Hampshire FA who donated a set of balls and 11 red and black shirts. Members voted on a choice of badges/logos and selected to use one depicting the Winchester city coat of arms. They were first granted between 1622 and 1686 and show five castles each with three towers, plus two lions passant guardant.

 

A squad of eight took part in the first Hampshire FA organised contest post COVID held at Stoneham Complex on 2 June and finished fourth on goal difference out of 10 teams. The eight players were: Dave Kirkby (captain), Ian Dowson, Steve Herbert, Sue Hume, Peter Jennings, Brian Mustoe, Steve Nash, and Rick Parker.

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The club affiliated to the Walking Football Association in 2022 and entered their national Over 60s knockout tournament, defeating both Eastleigh and Bournemouth before losing in the south west regional final to Highworth (Swindon).

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In the summer of 2022 Greens Bar and Kitchen, Jewry Street, Winchester, agreed to sponsor the club and purchased a new set of shirts and shorts while an on-line club shop was created.

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In July, thanks to three grants of £333 each from Hampshire county councillors Jan Warwick, Dominic Hiscock and Martin Tod, the club was able to buy a mobile defibrillator.

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In August 2022 Heather Kirkland, a former Women’s FA Cup winner with Southampton Ladies, joined the club in a voluntary capacity to offer coaching support and advice.

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During the summer of 2023 grants were received from Winchester City Council and the Football Foundation to buy a set of mobile goalposts and other equipment. These were displayed at an open day on Saturday 21 October when the club also hosted a game against an X Saints team featuring members of the 1970s Southampton Women’s FA Cup winning team.