“I just couldn’t make it up, it was incredibly humbling, and I was blown away. You don’t do things to get recognition, but it is nice when some people do recognise what you’re doing. I feel very fortunate and very lucky that people have took the time to put my name forward for things.”
These were the words of Stuart Langworthy, as he recalled the moment of receiving a letter through the post, informing him that he was on King Charles’ first birthday honour’s list for the British Empire Medal for his services to football and walking football.
“It’s very rewarding, but I’m also thrilled for the sport of walking football. The fact the citation said ‘for Services to Association Football and Walking Football’, helps put walking football on the map, and it means I’m getting recognised for the work I’m doing within the sport. For me, it’s all about raising the profile of the game, and seeing that people are starting to take the sport seriously.”
It’s not the first time he’s recieved recogniton from the Royal Family, having been the first holder of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion back in 2012, after being nominated for his contributions to teaching.
Langworthy became England’s over 60’s Walking Football manager back in 2017, and has been a director of the Walking Football Association (WFA) since 2021, as well as being one of the founders of Abbeymead Rovers Football Club.
England’s over 60’s made history in 2023, as they lifted the trophy in the inaugural Walking Football World Nations Cup, defeating France 3-0 in the final. The second edition will take place later this year, in October, with Langworthy and his side looking to replicate their initial success.
“It was beyond anything I could’ve ever dreamt of. I’m a teacher, you know, and have been for 39 years, and to manage your own country, to stand there arm-in-arm with guys you’ve selected and to sing the national anthem, and then to go and lift the World Cup, it’s special.
“People will belittle our sport and that achievement, but to become world champions in a sport, that you’re helping to grow, is one hell of an achievement, and something that I’m immensely proud of. I can’t really put it into words, the feeling of being world champion in your sport, it’s just crazy.
“It’s every sportsperson’s dream to become world champion in their chosen sport. So to say that I’ve achieved that, as England manager, it’s huge.”
The sport has grown massively over the years, with the latest figures showing that over 150,000 people are now playing walking football, whilst it’s played in over 70 countries. Nearly 300 clubs are affiliated with the WFA, with plenty more being affiliated with their county FA’s.
When Langworthy first got involved, there was just one walking football club in Gloucestershire, with that now expanding to half a dozen. He’s seen first-hand how the sport has positively impacted many lives, labelling this the most rewarding aspect of being apart of the sport.
This year’s Mental Health Week commences today, with this year’s theme being community. Langworthy spoke about how walking football has been an excellent launch pad in building new communities.
“To go to clubs and see people who can hardly work turn up, go out on the pitch, and to help them have fun, whilst creating communities, and seeing people with Parkinson’s come to life, that’s a massive reward, knowing that you’re changing people’s lives.
“I’ve had people tell me that walking football has saved their life. And so to be involved at that level, and see how it’s changed their lives, that’s incredibly rewarding, and I’m very lucky that I see that every week at my club.”
During Covid, Langworthy was approached by the We Are Undefeatable campaign (a group who helps those with long-term health conditions stay active), to lead a virtual walking football team during lockdown.
“I was given 12 people, and over lockdown we had a lot of fun. I’d film myself doing drills and they’d practice them in their back garden, we took part in a keepy-uppy challenge, we virtually walked to Land’s End and back, there were so many crazy things we did just to entertain each other, meeting on Zoom once a week. They’re an amazing group of people.
“We’re still in touch with each other, we’ve got a super six league which I’m going to win this year”, he said whilst laughing.
He’s been involved in running four Parkinson’s Cups, with this year’s event having 240 people with Parkinson’s taking part. England now have a Parkinson’s men’s team, with a women’s side on the way, as well as Kicking Cancer teams.
“There’s no limits to how this sport can grow, and help people with impairments and illnesses.
“We’ve been going for three years at Abbeymead, if you name a health condition, we probably have someone who has it. There’s around 50 people who turn up every week, whether it’s people in their thirties who have obesity and want to get fit, people with prosthetic limbs, all the way to people in their eighties who are very frail. Nobody is judged, we all have fun together, if someone becomes ill we’re all there to support them, we’ve built a really incredible community.
“It’s a support group, and we’re seeing it all over the country, and the world. It’s fantastic what the sport has done for so many different people, football is a universal language.”
For all his contributions across the country, he’s also took part in some of Gloucestershire’s wildest sporting traditions, having previously rolled the cheese down Cooper’s Hill for Gloucester’s famous annual Hill Roll.
“I was very proud, and also scared, as sitting at the top of the hill, it’s bloody steep. But it was an honour to be asked by ex-pupils who now run the Cheese Roll to sit at the top and roll it down.
“Through teaching at a school in Bourton-on-the-Water, I found out about their tradition of playing a game of football in the river on every August Bank Holiday. I was asked by an ex-pupil to play in it one year, and it was bonkers.
“There’s no way I’d ever take part in the Cheese Roll, because that’s frankly mad, but to be involved in two of Gloucestershire’s most traditional, and wildest events, was really quite an honour, and I feel very lucky and privileged to have been able to take part.”
Click here to find out more about walking football, and how you can take part.
