A group of walking football players from Coolum have experienced the rare joy of running onto Suncorp Stadium, to showcase their unusual but growing sport.
The five players – from the Coolum Beach Walking Football Club – played a whirlwind demonstration match against a team from Ballina, during the halftime break of the Socceroos v New Zealand match last week.
“It was a bit nerve-racking, but once we got out there, we did our bit,” club spokesman and player Tony Innes said.
“It was all over in a blur. It was all over in 10 minutes but it seemed to go for two minutes. It was all very much over in a flash but it was a good experience.”
To play at the premier Brisbane sporting venue is an honour not experienced by many. So, has he ever played at Suncorp before?
“Nah, I’m not that good,” Mr Innes said with a chuckle.
“None of us had. In fact, one of the ladies had never been to Suncorp to attend a match let alone play, so it was a great experience.
“We got a great response from the crowd. Even when we went off, and we got changed in the tunnel and started to walk back up the stairs, the whole crowd applauded, so I think they appreciated the fact that some oldies are out there, still active.”
Walking soccer is growing in popularity as it allows those who enjoy the game, but are getting a little older, to still enjoy the sport without needing to run, tackle and endure heavy contact.
“It’s no running, no contact, played by men and women, over the age of 50 – in fact, most of our team, the five that played (at Suncorp) were over 60 and one was in his late 50s, so we certainly nudged the elderly age bracket,” Mr Innes said.
“The crowd were very appreciative and being mostly fans from Queensland, we got strong support.
“It was great. I thought, ‘I could get used to this’,” Mr Innes said with a laugh, “but it’s probably a bit late for me now to make something of it.
“The surface is perfect – it was like a bowling green. With all due respect to the Baptist Church where we play, a bit rough and rugged and bumpy, but it was just awesome to play on that level of grass. It was great.”
The Coolum Beach Walking Football Club has been taking the field for four years, playing on the field behind the Coolum-Peregian RSL Sub Branch and the Coolum Beach Baptist Church, which is one of their sponsors.
They play on Monday nights, both competitive and social games – with teams in the over 50, over 60 and over 70 age brackets, and mixed teams. While they don’t play in a league, they do occasionally enter teams in competitions in Brisbane.
“We’ve been strong supporters of walking football so it was a bit of a ‘thank you,’ to us, and also to Ballina. Even though they’re in New South Wales, they attend most of the Queensland competitions,” Mr Innes said of the invitation to play at Suncorp.
“We’ve been growing strongly, so I think it’s in recognition of what we have done.
“There are a number of clubs in Brisbane who have already played some demonstration matches ahead of the recent women’s football international, and also at half-time in some A-League matches, so I guess they just put out the hand to us in recognition of what we’ve achieved here on the Coast.
“The whole idea was to showcase walking football … we’ve had a whole lot of people wanting to find out more about it, so it’s certainly done its job.”
“What we find is it not only helps older people get active physically but also mentally. A lot of people have reported back that it’s just great for their mental health – just getting out there, meeting people and having a bit of purpose.
“There’s no tackling allowed. You get the odd strains or whatever, that’s to be expected but it’s certainly not physical.”
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