World’s largest walking football festival takes place this weekend

The world’s largest walking football festival will take place on Saturday at Glasgow Green.

The draw for both the Over 50’s & Over 65’s Walking
Football Scotland Scottish Cup and the Friendly Festival was made earlier this
month by patrons Craig Brown and Rose Reilly at the Scottish Football Museum in
Hampden Park.

Walking Football Scotland are looking forward to welcoming
the 73 teams from across the country including Hearts who will represent
Edinburgh in the Over 50s competition.

They will face Arbroath , the SFA and Tullibody in Group G.

Tranent Colts will take part for the first time and will
face Gala Fairydean Rovers, Kirkcaldy and Stenhousemuir in Group E.

Previous winners Midlothian will play Gretna 2008, Lochgilp
Rovers and Montrose in Group H.

Midlothian will also enter a team in the Over 65s
competition and their ‘Ladies’ team will play in the non-competitive festival.

It will be a poignant event for the Midlothian team who will
go into the tournament without ‘Mr Walking Football’ Peter Collins who sadly
passed away earlier this year.

Peter was an inspirational figure who played the sport well
into his eighties and was a goalkeeper in the team that won the Scottish Cup
aged 85.

Gary McLaughlin WFS Chair said: “This has been a huge
undertaking and we are delighted to be returning to Glasgow Green for this
year’s event. This will be the largest gathering of walking footballers in the
world and it would not have been possible without the help and expertise from
Glasgow Sport and Matt Ramsay in particular. We hope to see walking football
played at its best whether in either of the Scottish Cups (Over 50’s and Over
65’s) and the non competitive Festival.”