Mansfield Senior Reds at heart of walking football boom

And after a successful year in 2018, they have made a flying start to 2019, both on and off the field.

Earlier this month, they hosted a mini walking football tournament at their home base, Mansfield Rugby Club on Eakring Road, and came out on top with wins over Chesterfield and Dronfield.

And they also gave something back to the local community by staging a charity night that raised £500 for the scanner appeal at King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton.

Only last weekend, Mansfield Senior Reds visited the One Call Stadium, home of the promotion-chasing Stags, to play a friendly tournament with the walking football team of Mansfield Town’s In The Community initiative.

This was also a big success, with each team entering two sides and one of the Reds’ sides winning all their games.

Walking football, started in 2011, has proved to be an ideal way of keeping over-50s fit, active and involved in the sport they love.

Such is the impact that the club has made that the Senior Reds Over-50s are the current holders of the team of the year accolade in Mansfield District Council’s annual sports recognition awards.

This followed a number of tournament triumphs last year, not only in this country but also abroad. These included success at the Lorus Copa Espanola competition for over-65s in Spain in October.

The Senior Reds are set to go on their travels again this year, with tournaments across the UK and also in Europe. Most notably, they travel to Italy in the autumn for a European tournament in the over-50 and over-65 age groups.