FA to develop Walking Football Strategy for launch in 2018’

Went to the Somerset event on Monday night - people there from Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. Andy Dyke from the FA focused mainly on seeking feedback on how the FA can support Walking Football going forward. He was quite honest about the FA being "late to the party" and stressed that they are hoping to work with the WFA, who he acknowledged had done a lot of work already to develop Walking Football. They (the FA and WFA) have a meeting next week, where there were to be further discussions about developing one set of consistent LOTG - especially in relation to contact, running, free kicks and ball height. The over 60s England Manager was there, but in the capacity of representing his local team. The only other comment was about the FA being the National Governing Body for all types of football, and it was plain they were including Walking Football in this remit.

There was feedback from our group about the sort of support we needed - mainly in terms of help in promoting the game, using technology (some participants struggled with getting the word out there), adequate opportunities to attend courses specifically aimed at those facilitating walking football sessions (first aid, safeguarding relevant to older people rather than kids, and skills / coaching, start up support for new groups. We also discussed the need for more trained referees and a recognised Walking Football referee qualification separate to the normal referee one. There were volunteers who said they were willing to do these courses, but would not want to be referees for normal football.

So, these meetings seem to be just initial "reach out" sessions by the FA to establish themselves as the National Governing Association/ Body, whilst acknowledging the good work already being done in local sessions, and by the WFA (though there is no way they will recognise the WFA as an NGB, but they want to work with them) That was my impression anyway