Caley Thistle enter into our fun Festival

Countdown to the Scottish Cup and Festival. Caley Thistle look forward to our massive get together at Glasgow Green on the 23rd June.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC Community Development Walking Football Group

This year’s Walking Football Scotland Scottish Cup and Festival will be the first to feature non-competitive games and Inverness Caledonian Thistle will be making the 340-mile round trip to take part, leaving around 7am to ensure they arrive on time at Glasgow Green.

This will be the second time that Thistle have taken part in the tournament having attended the inaugural Festival which was held at Spartans’ Ainslie Park in Edinburgh in 2015.

The team had only just formed a few months before the event and with the age range being higher than many of the other participants, they, not surprisingly, found the matches more physical than they were used to or expected.

The Walking Football Scotland Festival therefore provides an ideal opportunity for the highlanders to show off their skills at a national level once again, with the main emphasis on a gathering of walking footballers from across the country enjoying the physical activity and social benefits the sport truly brings. 

Inverness will field two teams and have been drawn in groups C and D.

The ‘A’ team will face Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Morton, Oriam Strollers, Ross County and SAYR United. The ‘B’ Team will face AM Soccer, Edinburgh City, Gerihatricks, Spartans, St James and West Lothian Youth Foundation.

Craig Masterton, Head of Community Development at Inverness Caledonian Thistle who actually refereed the first final between Hibernian FFit Fans and Glasgow Life said: “We recently celebrated our 125th session and have around 30 members with 15-20 turning up each week. The age range is mainly late sixties to mid-seventies and we are planning to bring 10-12 down for the event.

“Walking Football has become increasingly popular in Inverness. Last year Ken McIntosh MSP, the Presiding Officer in the Scottish Parliament visited us and took part in a session which he really enjoyed.

“Our Chairman Graham Rae also brought a team of former players from Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Clachnacuddin who played some games against the regulars.

“Since the sessions started I have noticed the improvement in many of the players, particularly in relation to mobility. The social side is also very good and after each session, the guys usually have a coffee together in the café.

“Inverness Caledonian Thistle have provided home and away strips which the players will wear on the day and all the guys are really looking forward to it.”

Good luck and safe trip to the Caley Thistle squad.