Cambusdoon looking to put the poetry in motion

Countdown is on, four days till the Scottish Cup and Festival at Glasgow Green and Cambusdoon are getting ready for their first competitive match.

Training session over and still a lot of happy faces

Cambusdoon will be walking into the unknown when they turn up at Glasgow Green on Saturday.

This will be the first time that any of the players have competed in a competitive tournament but everyone is looking forward to testing their skills against more seasoned campaigners such as Dundee United, St James and Glasgow Sport West.

The club are just one of a number in Ayrshire and weekly sessions are held at the Cambusdoon Sports Club which is a multi-functional sports and community facility in Alloway.

Walking football started at the club around eighteen months ago however it was only after the facility installed a state of the art 40mm 3G pitch that the numbers increased to their current level.

Founder member Sam Hornell said: “Everyone is looking forward to the Scottish Cup although none of us know just what to expect. This will be the first time that we have entered any tournament.

“I was one of the founders in November 2016 and at that time we only had five or six and played once a month at the Cambusdoon Sports Centre in Ayr. At that time we played on the sand pitch but now have access to a 3G surface which makes a big difference. It’s like night and day compared to the old pitch.

“The new pitch has attracted more players and we now have weekly sessions with 13 members of the Centre who have signed up and another 6 who are regulars. Some of the guys still work so our sessions are held in the evenings. We can get anything between seven and 16 turning up on any given night.

“The ages range from 51 to early sixties with one played aged 70

“Nine have signed up for the competition and we will be travelling to Glasgow Green by train and taxi.

“We all really enjoy the sport and I would say that everyone’s mobility is now much better than when we started. I remember there was a lot of huffing and puffing for the first few weeks and many sore legs.

“We are keen to increase the numbers and I have spoken to many people but it’s difficult to persuade them to turn up. I think a lot of it is down to fear as they are uncertain of what to expect and many have not played any sports since school days.”

Walking Football Scotland hope that Cambusdoon enjoy their first venture into the Scottish cup and that some songs or poetry are written around their day at Glasgow Green.

Good luck to Sam and his team