Manchester Walking Football April 2026

Reporter: Kevin Williams

Week 1 – Over 70s Division 1 & Over 60s Division 1

Over 70s Report

There was a marked improvement in the weather that greeted the teams yesterday, but there was change in the competitiveness shown by everyone involved.

Only Bury Relics, Tameside Striders Blues and Winstanley Walkers recorded victories, with 7 of the 10 games ending in a 0-0 stalemate. It’s no surprise that the former two top the table, albeit with Moston Brook up there too, but the Wigan side will be happy to have notched up a welcome win to leave Salcom holding up the others.

There are no unbeaten records in this division, after just 8 games each, surely an indication that things could be tight all the way to promotion and relegation in June?

Over 60s Report

This division is topped and tailed by Bolton sides, and I know for a fact that the Bolton Arena Blues, currently propping up the table, are far from a bad team. That suggests that their counterparts, simply named Bolton Arena, who lead by just a point at this stage, are a force to be reckoned with, and they are! They were very impressive today, winning all four of their matches against very well organised teams.

Fleetwood Town Flyers weren’t too shabby themselves, claiming the points in three of their four encounters, being foiled just the once by a useful Manchester Old Boys outfit. The top two have already opened up a sizeable gap and their tussles over the coming months will prove critical in deciding where the trophy goes come Christmas time [there, I’ve managed to get the first mention of the year in!].

Wakefield Wanderers, Manchester Old Boys, Burnley Clarets and Winstanley Walkers occupy comfortable mid table berths, although we all know that can change in a matter of half a dozen games.

In one of my matches today, Manchester Old Boys looked to be heading for a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Clarets, but two goals in the dying minutes rescued a point. 3 points separates the bottom four, with Ribble Valley WFC, Salcom [the only team without a win to their name so far, but only three losses], Blackpool Senior Seasiders and the aforementioned Bolton Arena Blues all hoping to string a few results together before the half term break.

Week 2 – Over 70s Division 2 & Over 60s Division 2

Over 70s Report

The Blackpool Senior Seasiders Belles swept in from the Fylde coast on Wednesday and what an impact they made! If there are any Male Chauvinists still walking this earth, they’ll be distraught to hear that the girls kept 3 clean sheets, in the process of hoovering up an impressive tally of 8 points from their four fixtures.

To save the men’s blushes, they stopped short of wiping the floor with anyone, and hung nobody out on the line; but joking aside they were a seriously good team [along with three male team mates] and gave all of the regulars at Heywood a very difficult time. Their passing was top notch and they could have scored even more than the three they managed. Well done Ladies, we hope to see you again soon!

Elsewhere, Rochdale AFC Strollers couldn’t put a foot right in their opening matches, but salvaged some face with a last match win against Burnley Clarets, who it’s got to be said suffered even more than their Lancashire neighbours. Both Ribble Valley WFC and Panthers WFC performed creditably on the day, but the spotlight was on the ladies [and their gentlemen assistants!], and quite rightly so.

Over 60s Report

Rochdale AFC Stroller’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end in yet another closely fought tussle with their old rivals Manchester Corinthians. It was always going to come down to either a piece of magic or an unfortunate slip, and this time it was the latter. However, it didn’t stop the Dale progressing to the top of the table, a pretty rare sight in recent years!

Corinthians themselves will be happy enough, as they and Bury Relics Blues chase second placed Moston Brook FC, who lie just a point off the top. All of the top four enjoyed pretty good days, but with the top 7 separated by only 7 points [add Bury Relics Whites, Wakefield Wanderers Whites and Panthers WFC to the aforementioned teams] it only takes one successful morning to change the landscape.

I managed to catch all of the three bottom teams in action today, and the fact that Preston North End Senior Whites, North Manchester WFC and Rochdale AFC Striders occupy those positions is testimony to the strength of this league.

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