Eleven people came along to the first deaf and hard of hearing walking football session at Powerleague in Stanground, Peterborough on Monday 21 September, and England international James Watson was there to show everyone how the game is played.
Walking football has one rule that sets it apart: no running. It sounds gentle. Most of the people who turned up on Monday found out within a few minutes that it is not.
“I thought walking football was going to be easy. Don’t believe it,” said one player afterwards. “I thought it was going to be relaxed. No. It’s busy.”
Another summed up the night in a sentence: “Out of puff already, but there’s loads of giggling.”
A lesson from an England international
James Watson plays walking football for England at over-65 level. He came to Stanground to give the group a session on how the game works, from the no-running rule to the way the ball is kept low and passed rather than lumped forward, and then joined in and played alongside everyone else for the rest of the evening.
The session was run visually, so deaf and hard of hearing players could follow everything without relying on shouted instructions or a whistle. “Really good,” said one player. “It’s very simple rules.”
Andrew Palmer, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, said:
“It was a really, really good first night. Eleven people came along, everyone enjoyed it, and most of them were surprised at how much energy they’d burned by the end. Having James Watson there to teach everyone the game and then play along with us was brilliant. Walking football is exactly the kind of sport Cambridgeshire Deaf Association wants to offer. Anyone can play it, whatever their age or fitness, and the session runs visually so deaf and hard of hearing players aren’t left guessing. It’s back on in two weeks and I’d love to see even more people there.”
Come and play
The next session is on Monday 5 October 2026 at 7pm, and sessions then run every fortnight on a Monday evening.
Powerleague Peterborough
Peterborough Road
Stanground
Peterborough
PE7 3BW
It costs £5 per person, per session. It is open to any age, men and women, and you do not need any experience or any kit beyond trainers and something comfortable to move in. Just turn up on the night, or get in touch if you have any questions first.
If you know someone who might enjoy it, please pass this on. Not everyone sees social media, and a personal invitation from a friend is often what gets people through the door.
More CDA sport
Walking football joins deaf boxing in Yaxley, children’s deaf football on Wednesday evenings at Powerleague, and our #TeamCDA runners at the Great Eastern Run on Sunday 11 October. Every one of these is built on the same idea: sport should be somewhere deaf people can turn up, join in and be understood.
