About Us
Welcome to WF4W
Our mission
WF4W is a community dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive space for women in walking football - whether you already play or are just thinking about giving it a go.
We aim to support the amazing work the WFA is doing, as well as being an informative hub for players, coaches, and clubs. WF4W will source and share expert advice on everything from kit and equipment to training tips, health benefits, and personal journeys. Together let's celebrate the diverse women who make our game so special, shining a light on the impact walking football has on both body and mind.
Who we are
Meet Shelley
Shelley is a latecomer to football, a back injury as a teenager meant her playing career didn’t really ever start. Her football career was confined to the garden with pitch side announcements of “mind my washing” and ‘mind my greenhouse”. The washing was never touched but sadly her poor control and skill meant the greenhouse did not remain in one piece and as a result, Shelley’s football was chopped in half.
In 2023 Shelley discovered walking football and immediately fell in love with the game; the tennis racket was retired and the football boots came out.
Shelley plays for Bristol Badgers and supports Swindon Town and Liverpool. She enjoys open water swimming, running with Marie and eating crisps.
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Meet Marie
At the age of 11, Marie wanted two things out of life: to write stories and play football for England. Unfortunately the world had other ideas. The 1985-86 football season didn’t quite go as planned. Local team Frickley Athletic managed to get a home tie in the third round of the FA Cup only to get knocked out by Rotherham, her beloved Everton lost out not once but twice to Liverpool in the league and FA Cup final and then the biggest blow came when she was banned from playing in the local boys league. It was strictly no girls allowed. With only a handful of friendlies in the bag, Marie carried on training with the Hemsworth Terriers only to hang up her boots at the age of 12. Convinced her playing days were behind her, Marie put off ideas of joining a girls’ or women’s football team until fate stepped in during Oct 2023 and she read a rogue email about men’s walking football. She immediately scoured the web for any women’s walking football teams based in the south west. And there she found the Bristol Badgers. It might be the biggest career break in football history, but now Marie is back on the pitch again and loving it.