Jimmy Rode is an old player. Now he meets his wife Lotta Rode on the soccer field for the first time, she has never set foot on a soccer ball before. Both are in Landskrona municipality’s newly started team in walking football.
It’s fun, both think.
– The really difficult and the funnest thing is not being allowed to run, says Jimmy Rode.
Can’t run
And he’s not the only one who thinks so. When coach Michelle Nilsson watches the game and the 15 or so players from the sidelines, her most common admonition is:
– Don’t run, don’t run…
Because walking football is exactly as the name suggests – the players walk with the ball. You must not run, if you do, the opposing team may take over the ball.
Could be matches
It is Landskrona municipality that, in collaboration with Landskrona Bois, has started walking football for seniors.
– It should be joy of movement but also community, says project manager Mathilda Olsson.
So far, no matches have been booked.
– But all the players are hungry for it, so maybe we can arrange something in the future, says Michelle Nilsson.
Swedish gold in the WC
Walking football is about to become a big sport. This summer, for example, world championships were organized in walking soccer with different age groups. Then the Swedish ladies in the 40+ took home a gold, as did the men in the 70+.
Here you can see which rules apply to walking football.