A pioneering walking football club has marked its fifth birthday, with demand for the sport locally at its highest ever level.
In February 2018, whilst Scotland was in the grip of the Beast from the East, Dumbarton man Phil Dawson founded Lomond Walking Football Club - the first walking football team in West Dunbartonshire.
At the time, Phil said: “If you thought that you’d kicked your last football but you still have a dream and a passion for the game, then I want to hear from you.
“I want to see that spark again that I know I get when I walk into the sports hall and see the bibs and footballs placed and ready to play.
“It’s really just a slower version of the beautiful game.”
Phil’s vision proved a huge hit, with the club quickly becoming affiliated with Vale of Leven Juniors, before switching to being the official walking football team of Dumbarton FC.
When he moved down south, Phil handed over the reigns to Stephen Lang - who had been a member since the early days.
And he told the Lennox he is incredibly proud of how much the sport has grown across Dumbarton and Alexandria.
He said: “The last five years have really flown in and doesn’t feel like it’s been that long at all.
“I’m really glad that I went along to that first session all those years ago now. It’s definitely been one of my better decisions!
“The club really has become a massive part of my everyday life.
“I’m so proud of our team and how much it has grown over the years. From the days when we used to struggle to get a 3 v 3 game at our session to having 22 players and two sessions a week is absolutely brilliant.
“To become affiliated with Dumbarton FC and become their official walking football team was massive. The club have been great with us and hopefully we’ve been a good addition to the Dumbarton FC name.”
Stephen has been delighted to see a change in how walking football is viewed, with the sport one of the fastest growing in the country - and new clubs launching all the time.
He continued: “People’s views of walking football have really changed over the years. I feel that there used to be a stigma that it was just a game for old guys who were past it. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“The guys at Walking football Scotland along with the clubs have done a great job promoting the sport.”
Stephen now hopes that the Sons can mark their fifth anniversary (and the club’s 150th) in style, with plenty of competitions to aim for.
He concluded: “This year we’re playing in the Premier league of the West region and are looking to make a real push for the title. We’ve also entered the Scottish Cup and Glasgow cup and hope to go 1 better after losing the Glasgow cup final last year.
“We’ve got over 50’s & 60’s teams going down to play in the Blackpool tournament in June and are holding our annual charity fundraising tournament for the MS Society in July.
“The main aim for this year is to get a ladies only session up and running once we can secure a venue.”
Dumbarton’s walking football sessions as now so popular that they currently can’t welcome any new players.
