05/07/2026
What a weekend of football! Forget the Azteca, the only place to be on Sunday was Cherry Willingham.
Three of our squads took to the pitch in the FA’s Walking Football Cup. While none of our teams will be advancing to the next round, ending the day in one piece (well, nearly) is a victory in itself.
Here’s a round-up of the day’s events.
Mixed 50s
First to kick off were the 50s. As one team dropped out, the 50s only faced 5 games instead of 6. But this was no bad thing, as with an impressive array of niggling injuries between them, they truly were the walking wounded, even before a ball was kicked.
Maybe that was the reason for their bold, avant-garde strategy: Why waste energy warming up when you need every ounce of it just to stand upright?
• Game 1 vs. Gainsborough (Lost 3-0):
It turns out warm-ups are actually quite useful. We conceded three early goals while our legs were still trying to remember the basic bio-mechanics of movement. Although we did get the ball in the back of the net through Neil, it was disallowed for not walking. So, let’s put this one down as our very public, highly competitive dynamic stretching session.
• Game 2 vs. Grantham (Won 1-0):
Muscles now properly awake, it was like someone put 50p in the meter as football brains were suddenly switched on. Better communication meant we looked more organised, and we were stronger defensively. A tight game was finally settled when Andy unleashed a real scorcher to secure the three points.
• Game 3 vs. Sleaford (Lost 3-0):
Two steps forward, one step back. We faced the current league title holders here, so we generously let them have the points (and they definitely didn't just outplay us). Expected result...moving swiftly on!
• Game 4 vs. Lincoln Utd (Won 2-1):
A nail-biter! The game was incredibly tight, but some great saves by Dave and solid defending kept us in the hunt when the score was 1-1, courtesy of Andy’s second goal of the tournament. Just as we thought we’d have to settle for the draw, cue Andy once again with another strike to sn**ch the win in the dying moments.
• Game 5 vs. Grimsby Town Corinthians (Drew 1-1):
Running entirely on fumes at this point, this was a battle. Corinthians took the lead, and late on, were threatening to overrun us. But with impeccable timing, Lincoln went down in agony, slapping the ground in dramatic fashion, just like the pros. Everyone thought he was making a big fuss about nothing (yeah, just like the pros!), but it was actually tactical brilliance, straight out of his UEFA B coaching playbook: it broke the run of play and gave us a much-needed oxygen break. Second wind secured, Andy struck with virtually the last kick of the game to steal a point.
Overall, the final tally wasn’t too shabby for a squad largely held together by kinesiology tape: 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses. At least the walking wounded avoided becoming the walking dead. Still, the physios of Lincoln will be rubbing their hands with glee – kerching! 💷💷🤑
Women’s 50s
Lincoln’s ladies made their grand debut on the national stage in the women’s 50s category. A lack of entrants meant they had the pleasure of playing the same opponent, Stamford Strollers, over three consecutive games.
• Game 1 vs. Stamford (Lost 6-0):
First-game jitters were real. The tournament goals looked suspiciously large—borderline cavernous—and the more experienced Stamford team took full advantage by deploying a highly effective "just shoot from literally anywhere" tactic. Our ladies spent this game trying to find their competitive feet (and figuring out where the goalposts ended).
• Game 2 vs. Stamford (Lost 3-0):
Enter coach Ryan. Following a rousing, tactical team talk by Ryan, the ladies came out with new defensive resolve. The back line solidified, the gaps closed, and the scoreline halved. Progress!
• Game 3 vs. Stamford (Lost 2-0):
The steady improvement continued. The ladies fought hard, limited the damage even further, and showed spirit and true grit.
Final tally: 3 Losses (but an undeniable upward trajectory).
So, the ladies were out of the tournament, but definitely not down. They’ve come away with invaluable experience, which will stand them in good stead for the future. And watching the goals conceded drop from six to three to two proves this squad is learning fast.
Congratulations to Pauline, who was deservedly named Ryan’s player of the day 🏅👏
Mixed 60s
With a team pulling out of this category, the 60s only had to survive four games. They embraced the challenge with solid defending, a spectacular strike, and some great saves.
• Game 1 vs. Stamford (Won 1-0):
A dream start. Mark decided to skip the pleasantries and fired an absolute bullet of a shot past the keeper to secure a hard-fought and unexpected 1-0 victory. We were probably even more stunned than they were!
• Game 2 vs. Grimsby Corinthians (Lost 2-0):
A tough battle and a reality check. We went 1-0 down but threw the kitchen sink at them, trying to scrape a point. But it wasn’t to be, and as the game was drawing to a close, we got caught on the break and conceded a second. An unlucky end to a gritty performance.
• Game 3 vs. Grimsby Ancient Mariners (Drew 0-0):
A tense, end-to-end game where both sides threatened to break the deadlock. Our defence put up a brick wall, we battled for every ball, and we fully deserved to walk away with a point.
• Game 4 vs. Sleaford (Lost 1-0):
By this final match, the tank wasn't just empty; we were actively borrowing fumes from next week. It was a hard-fought slog, which needed all hands on deck to keep Sleaford at bay. One sneaky effort did eventually breach our defence, but we kept fighting till the end and were unlucky not to find an equaliser.
Final tally: 1 Win, 1 Draw, 2 Losses.
So, a solid showing from the 60s. Between holidays and injuries, putting out a competitive team is an achievement. So a win, a draw, and two narrow defeats, all while keeping hip replacements fully intact, shouldn’t be sniffed at.
A massive well done to everyone who played, managed, or came along to support. And a huge thank you to the referees and to Luke and Kirsty at Lincolnshire Football Association for organising the local heat and ensuring that it ran seamlessly despite teams dropping out at the last minute👏⚽
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