WELCOME HOME ⚽
Some weeks are about the scorelines.
Some weeks are about the football.
And some weeks are about the people.
This week belonged to the returners.
From the moment familiar faces started walking through the gates on Monday morning, there was a sense that old friends were back where they belong.
Before we get onto the football, a couple of quick reminders.
Please double-check that you've marked yourself as playing or not playing by 9:50am. It's surprisingly easy to click the wrong option or accidentally change your status.
We're also aiming to kick off as close to 11:00am as possible, so please try to arrive by 10:50am at the latest.
Now for the important stuff...
A Class Act Before a Ball Was Kicked
Alan Plant was due to make his St Helens Walking Football debut this week. Unfortunately, circumstances meant he couldn't play, but rather than simply not turning up, Alan came down personally to explain.
That sort of attitude tells you everything you need to know about someone.
A top gesture, Alan. We look forward to seeing you out there soon.
We also welcomed back some familiar faces this week, with Eileen, Ste Jones and Chopper all returning to the fold.
Monday Morning Football
With the autumn sun shining and conditions perfect, 44 athletes turned up ready for action.
After a bit of squad reshuffling, we ended up with one game of 8v8 and two games of 7v7.
Gold 3-0 Green
Gold: Pete O, Dave Robbo, Neil SA, Robin, Shell, Phil the Cat, Judith and Chris Gilly
Green: Mike Bates, Little John, Kirsty, Beach Boy, Big Phil, Snakehips, Colin the Late and Trialist Dave
Thanks to Robbo, Shell and Little John for the match reports.
The final score may suggest a comfortable afternoon for Gold, but everyone agreed Green were the better side for much of the first half and could easily have found themselves several goals ahead.
As the game wore on, Gold took control, capitalising on tiring legs to run out 3-0 winners.
A special mention must go to Mike Bates, who produced a string of outstanding saves while taking his turn in goal.
No referee. No complaints. Just football played in exactly the right spirit.
Blue 5-4 Black
Black: Mike Tomo, Jan, Mika (ex-quiz team captain), Glen, Enoch, Baz and Chris Kel
Blue: Citeh Geoff, Lefty, Ian Connor, Speedo Mick, Mark NR, Trish and Ricky
A huge thanks to Chris for both playing and refereeing.
According to holiday enthusiast Citeh Geoff, this was a superb contest from start to finish, swinging one way and then the other throughout the hour.
Blue scorers:Lefty (3)Mark NR (2)
Black scorers:Glen (3)Baz (1)
An entertaining game that could easily have gone either way.
Red 3-2 Purple
Red: Me, Tom Stretch, Ste Harding, Chopper, Ste Jones, Kerry and Cockney Rebel
Purple: Mike Mag, Wicky, Eileen, Les Meldrew, Phil the Power, Roy and Ste Honeyman
Expertly refereed by Charlie, who calmly explained a penalty decision that wasn't given and, to their credit, Purple accepted the call without any fuss.
This was the game of the returners.
Red raced into a two-goal lead before Purple took complete control, moving the ball beautifully and stretching Red all over the pitch.
The second half became a proper battle.
Eileen marked her return with two goals, while Ste Harding completed a superb hat-trick to seal the win for Red.
A special mention also goes to Chopper, whose defensive efforts during Purple's first-half dominance kept Red in the contest.
A cracking game and a brilliant advert for walking football.
Monday's Song 🎵
With Ste Jones, Eileen and Chopper all making welcome returns, there could only be one choice.
Peters & Lee - Welcome Home
And So To Wednesday...
27 warriors. 0 referees. 1 ball boy. 1 timekeeper.
With an odd number available, we lined up with three sides of seven and one side of six.
Orange 5-7 Blue (Probably...)
Orange: Chris 10P, Jason (the late junior), Little John, Degsy, Tom Stretch, Les Meldrew and Ste Honeyman
Blue: Sully, PJ, Eamon, Dave Mart, Si, Martin Mac and Phil the Power
Information from this one was sketchier than a referee's notebook after a cup final.
Three different people gave three different final scores.
What we do know is that Orange scored five times through:
Chris 10P (3)Tom Stretch (2)
The best estimate is that Blue edged it 7-5, but we'll leave the statisticians to argue over that one.
Most importantly, it was another game played in excellent spirit.
White 7-4 Yellow
Yellow: Daz, Deano, Cockney Rebel, Neil, Grav and Joe the Ghost
White: Me, Ste Carine, Paul Winny, Dougie, Lee Willo, Shell and Rita
On paper it looks straightforward.
It wasn't.
White eventually ran out 7-4 winners, but the scoreline only tells part of the story.
White scorers:Ste Carine (5)Paul Winny (1)Me (1)
Yellow scorers:Joe the Ghost (1)Daz (1)Deano (1)Mart (1)
There were two talking points.
The first highlighted exactly what makes this club special.
With no referees present, a possible area encroachment was questioned. Nobody was certain. Nobody tried to gain an advantage. The ball was simply returned to the goalkeeper and play continued.
No arguments. No moaning. Just common sense.
The second concerned the additional player remaining with White beyond half-time. The concern wasn't raised until the closing stages when Yellow were beginning to tire.
As always, if something doesn't seem right, please raise it at the time. It's much easier to address concerns there and then.
Special mentions this week go to:
⭐ Ste Carine for an incredible five-goal haul⭐ Rita for another outstanding all-round performance⭐ Shell for an excellent display⭐ Deano for a tireless shift throughout
Final Whistle
Across two brilliant sessions we welcomed back some familiar faces, celebrated some outstanding performances and, most importantly, continued to show what makes this club different.
The goals were great.
The football was excellent.
But the standout feature once again was the attitude of everyone involved.
No referees in most games.
Very few disagreements.
Plenty of laughter.
Lots of encouragement.
And a genuine sense that people enjoy being part of something special.
Whether you've been here for years, have just joined us, or you're making a long-awaited return, one thing remains true:
St Helens Walking Football will always be a place where you're welcome.
Welcome Home.
Wednesday's Tune 🎵
After standout all-round performances from Rita and Shell, we'll finish with:
Kool & The Gang - Ladies Night
See you all next week. ⚽💙
WANT TO JOIN US ?Fancy getting back into football?
Whether you've played all your life or haven't kicked a ball for decades St Helens Walking Football Club welcomes new players.
Come along and meet the team and give it a go.
Find out more about St Helens Walking Football Club and how to join us JOIN US | St Helens Walking FC
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