Q – What are the benefits to us as a local FA and our leagues in affiliating to the WFLA?
A – The benefits to a County FA are that it places you inside a community that is only interested in promoting and developing Walking Football for the benefits of those playing and governing the game. Your affiliation will put you in place to perhaps help others with regards to issues they may be experiencing or seek assistance and guidance from other county FA’s and leagues. It is a place where best practice can be easily shared. Your affiliation also provides playing opportunities for your affiliated clubs and players in well run tournaments played under FA Laws. These collective benefits include:
- The organisation of WFLA led local, regional, and national tournaments are under the WFLA banner.
- Enhanced marketing/publicity/promotion of activities via the WFLA website and the use of social media.
- Assistance with the planning and organising of member league’s events and tournaments.
- Sharing of league member resources as appropriate.
- Encourage, assist, and advise in the development of league referees.
- Encourage, assist, and advise community groups to develop organised teams so that they may want to join leagues.
- Provide a coordinated and experienced voice that can represent the sport of walking football to external bodies.
- Promote standards and standardisation across the game of walking football.
Q – What can our affiliated teams expect from your tournaments?
A – The WFLA is in a position to bring together all of the member leagues affiliated clubs and provide tournaments that are not offered by County FA’s and up to recently, this includes the National FA. All WFLA tournaments are played under FA Laws and clubs/teams must be affiliated through County FA’s bringing all the security of the governance and insurance structures of the FA. The WFLA also insist that its tournaments are not played at venues using caged pitches. The WFLA recognise that some club’s facilities will include these but for the safety of all involved we play our tournaments on pitches that are not enclosed. All of the WFLA Finals are covered by a public indemnity multi-event policy number AN00307409 and insured via Event insurance Services Ltd. All of our 2024 ‘Finals’ are supported by St. John Ambulance.
Q – If a County FA League chooses not to affiliate to the WFLA, why should our FA affiliated clubs be excluded from your tournaments?
A – When a league affiliates with the WFLA it enables us to check the standards of that league, is it FA affiliated?, Are they playing to FA Laws? Etc. This in turn gives some guarantees that teams affiliated to each league are of a competent standard with regards to their approach to walking football. The WFLA affiliates the leagues under an umbrella and not the clubs. Our Constitution says “The WFLA is a membership group of walking football leagues for their collective benefit.” So, it would be contrary to the constitution to allow individual member clubs to enter when their league is not a member of WFLA. It must stressed that entries for all WFLA Competitions, a County FA will be asked to validate a clubs/teams entry.
Q – What is the Inter League Cup that you are promoting? Does this mean that the WFLA would run events for League Representative sides? For example, you would pick a league rep side from our local FA teams, if our teams/leagues were involved?
A – The WFLA Inter League Cup is for all age categories and genders and gives people a chance to represent their local leagues. Each league or league team manager would pick their own league sides not the WFLA. We would only organise and run the tournament. This has been a great success so far, so we expect more teams to be involved for 2025. If a local FA WFL joined the WFLA they would of course be able to enter their own league teams. The same applies to the WFLA League Champions Cup which has been a great success since it started.
Q – By affiliating with the WFLA could that cause a conflict of interests with a League’s own development plans or even those of the National FA?
A – No it should not be the case that conflict will be caused. As we are sure you are aware the landscape of walking football is still somewhat fractured. The WFLA’s aim has always been to bring about greater unification and by having FA-affiliated leagues sign up to the WFLA we can bring about greater consistency in the delivery of walking football. This will not be brought about by the committee of the WFLA but by the leagues communicating with each other through the conduit of communication that the WFLA provides and the sharing of best practice and resources. It must be stressed that the WFLA encourages leagues to keep their independence.
Q – Does the WFLA have any involvement in the process of player selection into the various England walking football teams?
A – The WFLA has no ambitions to be involved directly with any selection process of players for international tournaments. The WFLA has entered a partnership with the England Walking Football Community (‘EWFC’). As part of this partnership with the EWFC, the EWFC will give priority of trials to any player who plays for a FA-affiliated club, that plays in a FA-affiliated League, which is also a WFLA member and for players who embrace and support the FA and its LOTG’s.
Q – What are the qualities needed for a League to become a WFLA member?
A – For a League to qualify as a member of the WFLA. It needs to ensure:
- Your walking football league is affiliated to a National or local County FA.
- Your league do not play walking football in ‘unsafe’ environments, i.e. the use of caged five-a-side pitches.
- Your league opposes discriminatory behaviour and promotes equality of opportunity.
- Your league is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy walking football in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment, and abuse.
- Your league respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and treats everyone equally within the context of walking football, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality, or social/economic status.
- Your league plays to and recognises the laws of the game of walking football are as subscribed by the FA. Note – The WFLA acknowledges that there can be ‘local’ modifications but the WFLA will continue its efforts to work with the FA to help them set up the Standard Code of Rules across all walking football competitions.
Q – How many and what type of age-categorised competitions does the WFLA organise?
A – Currently, the WFLA organises three age-categorised competitions. Each competitions covers the Over 50’s; Over 60’s; Over 65’s; Over 70’s; Women’s Over 40’s and Women’s Over 50’s. The WFLA Inter League competition is for teams who are representing a WFLA affiliated league across all age categories. The WFLA National Cup competition is by open invitation to all clubs of WFLA affiliated leagues across all age categories. The WFLA League Champions Cup is by invitation to teams who are the preceding seasons Champions of the top division of leagues affiliated to the WFLA across all age categories. All WFLA Competitions are subject to a non-refundable competition entry fee to cover WFLA administration costs. This entry fee is reviewed and decided annually at a General Meeting specific for this purpose. In the Local League Rounds or Regional Area Rounds the costs of pitch hire, referees etc., are shared equally between the named teams on the agreed fixture date.
Q – How can a club or team apply for a WFLA Competition?
A – As and when the WFLA launches its’ competitions for 2025, clubs/teams will be required to complete the relevant competition form/s. These can be found here. The forms cannot be used until after the 1st December 2024. We must stress that a League/Club/Team entry will not be entered into any WFLA competition draw until payment is received. Details on how to pay are shown on each form. Prior to completing an entry form it is recommended that you read the current WFLA Competition rules. The 2024 versions can be found here. Locations regarding ‘Finals’ of each competition for 2025 will be announced during December 2024. It must stressed that entries for all WFLA Competitions, a County FA will be asked to validate a clubs/teams entry.
Q – Are ID’s used to provide proof of eligibility for players competing in WFLA Finals?
A – Yes, for all players for teams that have qualified for entry into a WFLA Cup Competition Final it is mandatory that ID evidence that shows a player’s age DOB and includes a photo is presented at registration. Failure to do so for all 2025 competitions ‘Finals’ will mean players and potentially their team will be excluded on the day. These can be either a passport or driving licence.
Q – Team sheets, are these needed?
A – Yes, they are mandatory for teams entering players for teams that have qualified for entry into a WFLA Cup Competition Final. Failure to do so for all 2025 competitions will mean players and potentially their team will be excluded on the day. A copy of a WFLA team sheet can be found here.