BURTON Albion first team players Connor Shaugnessy and Christian Saydee continued the EFL Week of Action by taking part in a walking football session.
Walking football is a great way for people over 50 to continue playing the sport and safely too. It also provides people who may not have played football before a chance to get involved in the sport. The game is played at a walking pace and contact is reduced to a minimum. As well as keeping fit, walking football is also brilliant for mental health and building confidence.
BACT currently operates two teams in the Derbyshire Walking Football League and also regularly competes in regional and national tournaments.
Shaugnessy and Saydee joined the session as part of the EFL’s Week of Action, which is shining a light on the brilliant community work which is carried out by all 72 EFL clubs on a regular basis. So far across the week captain John Brayford has visited a disability football session and lucky Burton Albion Community Trust participants had a meet and greet with the first team and watched them train.
After seeing it for himself, defender Connor Shaugnessy praised the impact of the walking football session.
“The session was really good fun and I really enjoyed it. Some of them were bending the no running rule a bit!
“It’s brilliant to see everyone getting involved. There’s a huge range of ages here too and it’s easy to see how much it means to them and how much they enjoy it.”
Tim McMahon, BACT volunteer, said: “I’ve been volunteering at this session for three years now and I’ve loved every moment of it. There’s all sorts of people who come to walking football, people who’ve had heart attacks, strokes, learning difficulties and they love it. Everyone is welcome!.
“Having some of the first team lads down was brilliant too. It definitely made the regulars a lot more competitive which is good to see!”