The second national league tournament organised by Walking Football Scotland in partnership with North Lanarkshire Leisure and Health & Social Care North Lanarkshire commenced on Wednesday 25 April at the excellent Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility.
The tournament was opened by Scottish football legend David Hay and twelve teams from throughout the country took part in the first round of fixtures, and increase of two from last season.
Games were played in accordance with the recently published WFS ‘Laws of the Game’ and officiated by accredited referees.
Each fixture lasted 18 minutes with no breaks. Teams are awarded three points for a victory, two for a draw and one for fulfilling the tie.
Last year’s winners Hearts 56 won their opening three games, beating Ayr United Parkhouse 5-1, Oriam 3-0 and Stenhousemuir 4-1. Runners up Hearts 98 also started with three victories, beating Stenhousemuir 4-2, Glasgow Sport West 2-1 and NL Leisure 2-1.
Edinburgh’s other team Oriam started with a 4-1 defeat to Gala Fairydean Rovers. They then lost to Hearts 56 before winning the final game 3-0 against fellow newcomers Motherwell.
Hearts 56 top the table with nine points and a goal difference of plus eight. Gala Fairydean Rovers are second with a goal difference of plus seven and Hearts 98 are third with a goal difference of plus four.
Oriam are ninth with five points.
The League table will be updated every month and will be available available on the WFS website www.walkingfootballscotland.org.uk and at www.nlleisure.co.uk
The scores from day one were as follows:
Fixture 1
Glasgow Sport East 1 v 1 Motherwell
NL Leisure 5 v 1 Ayr United Beresford
Hearts 56 3 v 1 Ayr United Parkhouse
Glasgow Sport West 4 v 2 Fife Wanderers
Gala Fairydean Rovers 4 v 1 Oriam
Stenhousemuir 2 v 4 Hearts 98
Fixture 2
Hearts 98 2 v 1 Glasgow Sport West
Ayr United Parkhouse 3 v 1 Motherwell
Oriam 0 v 3 Hearts 56
Stenhousemuir 0 v 2 Gala Fairydean Rovers
Ayr United Beresford 0 v 0 Glasgow Sport East
Fife Wanderers 1 v 2 NL Leisure
Fixture 3
Hearts 56 4 v 1 Stenhousemuir
Ayr United Beresford 1 v 0 Fife Wanderers
Glasgow Sport East 1 v 2 Ayr United Parkhouse
NL Leisure 1 v 2 Hearts 98
Motherwell 0 v 3 Oriam
Glasgow Sport West 1 v 3 Gala Fairydean Rovers.
Photo courtesy of Walking Football Scotland
Front left: Scott Currie North Lanarkshire Leisure, Scottish football legend David Hay, Gary McLaughlin Chairman of Walking Football Scotland and Stevie Hamilton North Lanarkshire Leisure
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
