Sussex walking footballers delighted with new league

It was inevitable that at some stage after the start of walking football in the area back in December 2014 that a local league with home and away fixtures for the over-50s would develop – and at last this dream has come true.

OBWFC developed from an idea by Charles Sheldon of Age UK East Sussex and Shinewater (Eastbourne).

Bexhill were the first to be earmarked for sessions and with input from the late Su Reece the club progressed from a few kicking a ball about in a hall in Station Road, Bexhill, to the formation of the Old Bexhillians as a proper club playing on custom built surfaces and locations in the area.

Eastbourne Strollers (part of Eastbourne Borough FC) came about almost the same time as Bexhill and have been followed by Hastings, Battle, Uckfield , Heathfield and Burwash.

Rother Council, in the guise of Active Rother, also became involved as quite naturally the activity was a definite plus for the over-50s.

Friendlies and mini events and tournaments quickly followed and the East Sussex League, organised by Eastbourne Sporting Park, was a firm fixture for a couple of years until the Covid pandemic put a stop to this.

After this demise and a heartening emergence from the epidemic, the local league concept finally came about.

Incidentally, Old Bexhillians won the league two years running and after the cancellation of the event in April last year they can proudly say they were always the holders.

As a big thank-you to Charles Sheldon and his team for being one of the sponsors from the very beginning, organisers are pleased to name the new league The AUKES LEAGUE ( Age UK East Sussex.

Special thanks goes to the club chairman Mike Davies, as he did all the formation of the league, and to committee man Steve Croft for his match-by-match organising.

A few matches have taken place but it is early days and a mid-term report will be compiled in due course. The guys who started the ball rolling in this league are pictured.

Meanwhile at OBWFC discussions about future social events and friendlies are always under constant discussion – that includes over-70s events as among their 40-odd playing members the club boasts some 12 players in this category. Ladies are always encouraged to participate and a ladies league is expected to become a reality.

The club have recently had another golf day and other events are in the pipeline.

Meanwhile club captain Dave Willis has just turned 80 and is an inspiration to all at the sessions.

Dave is a former player with Wimbledon FC at the old Plough Lane and has fond memories of FA Cup finals at the old Wembley.

He is a regular visitor to AFC Wimbledon and recently the newly opened club museum put on permanent display his kit for the 1963 Amateur Cup final at Wembley.