Benalmadena Walking Football – unlikely heroes

Walking Football in Spain, now in its 8th season, is a sport aimed at people in their 50s who want to kick around with other people, like we did when we were kids, but without the intensity or competitiveness that we once had.

Are you good at football? “Are you good at football?” “No. “Terrible,” is my response. “Perfect! You should join this club.” Have fun, stay fit, meet new people and make new friends. The base of WFS is in Benalmadena, Calahonda and Benahavís, while the Benalmadena lot play at the Polideportivo Ramón Rico, next to the Plaza de Toros.

The players, from 12 different nationalities, all communicating in English, all have one feature in common – they’re not very good. But that’s exactly the point. Keef, one of the oldest members, said that you don’t need to be a good player to play walking soccer in Benalmadena. The oldest team of Spain is also one of the least competitive.

Keef tells me about Ken. Ken has been playing for the team since about three years. Ken has dementia. He is left with the boys for about 3 hours by his wife, who takes a break from caring for him. “We’re not looking for great football. Fred is 79. He has been here from the beginning. We had one player, who was 60 and fit, when we started. We went to Portugal as part of a competition. We were still very competitive back then. He dropped. There was no defibrillator. When the ambulance arrived, the man was already dead. We had to re-evaluate our entire mission.

After that moment, not only did they raise enough money to buy a defibrillator and have some players trained in how to use it, but they also reevaluated the most important values of what WFS was all about – not winning, but taking some time out to have fun with friends. They have never used the defibrillator since they bought it. ‘You come down, you get on the pitch, you pass the ball, and then we all have a beer afterwards. Keef claims that we’re known to be a drinking football club.

The season is almost over, with the sports field at Polideportivo Ramón Rico about to be taken over by summer camps for children throughout the summer, but the lads at Benalmadena’s walking football club will be back at the beginning of September for some low-quality athletic showmanship and some top-quality camaraderie and team building. Check them out before the season ends on Thursday 19th, Monday 23rd, and Thursday 26th of June, at 11am. You can also stop for a beer afterwards.