JERSEY is going to the World Cup.
This summer, some of the Island’s best footballers – walking footballers – will be competing against the likes of Spain, Brazil, Italy, France and hosts England in the inaugural FIWFA Walking Football World Nations Cup.
The tournament will take place at St George’s Park, the home of the England national teams, between 23 and 27 August, where 32 national teams will compete across two age groups: Over-50s and Over-60s.
It was originally due to be held in 2020 but was put back three years because of Covid. The Jersey Football Association registered an interest to participate at the time and, when it was confirmed it had been rescheduled for this year, the JFA remade their application.
‘When we knew it was to be resurrected we were desperate to give the local players the opportunity to represent Jersey as a country,’ said JFA chief executive officer David Kennedy.
‘It’s going to be a massive thrill for any of the players to go up against much larger nations than us, all of whom have got an incredible pedigree of football. We’re going to go out there and compete with those and, as soon as the players have been selected, we’re going to be doing a bit of work to be ready to go by the time of the tournament.
Jersey are entering only in the Over-50 tournament, against 15 other nations, split into two groups, preceded by a knock-out stage. Matches will be six-a-side played over 40 minutes, with a maximum of 12 players in a squad. Kennedy said that each nation is allowed to field up to three ex-professional players, meaning that there may be a few famous old faces taking part too.
‘There’s going to be lot of learning in the early stages of the tournament because we’ll have to cope with the different playing styles that we will come up against and we’ll have to adapt to the tolerance of the rules,’ said Kennedy.
‘But to play at the home of England football at St George’s Park is brilliant. For anybody who’s been there, the magnitude of it really hits you as you drive in.’
The cost of entering is not cheap, at approximately £15,000. That includes flights, accommodation, meals and transport. Players may be expected to contribute to the costs, however the JFA are hoping a sponsor will come forward.
Kennedy added: ‘There’s going to be a huge financial commitment to support the players as much as we can as an association but ultimately we would love to hear from any sponsor who potentially would be able to help us to compete at the World Cup.’
Just over 100 players are registered to play in Jersey’s Santander International Walking Football League, played on Sunday mornings at Springfield, across seven teams.
