Walking Football Scotland

What Walking Football Scotland does

Walking Football Scotland (WFS) is a registered Scottish charity (SC047709) and the de facto national governing body for walking football in Scotland. Founded by Vivian Wallace in 2012, the organisation promotes a non-contact, walking-only variant of association football primarily for adults aged 50 and over, with a specialised Parkinson's disease programme delivered in partnership with Parkinson's UK and a growing women's segment that competes from the over-40 age category. WFS coordinates a network of more than 150 affiliated sessions across all 32 Scottish local authority areas and runs a structured competition calendar spanning Premierships, Championships, Conferences, Regional Cups, the Champions League, and the annual Scottish Cup & Festival across age categories from O50s to O75s.

The operating model is community-led and event-driven. The core platform is a Squarespace-hosted website providing a session finder directory, events calendar, news, and published Laws of the Game and policies; no proprietary software, mobile app, or AI capability is disclosed. WFS does not charge individual participation fees — most sessions are free to £5, set independently by affiliated clubs — and generates revenue through three modest streams: tiered commercial sponsorship (nationwide and local tournament packages, branded equipment, educational programmes), merchandise sales via a partnership with RJM Sports Ltd using Uhlsport apparel, and club affiliation subscriptions that grant access to competitions, governance frameworks, and the WFS network.

Strategic alliances anchor WFS's reach: Parkinson's UK (with a dedicated Parkinson's Educator appointed in March 2024), Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (sponsor of the 2026 Scottish Cup & Festival), RJM Sports Ltd and Uhlsport for merchandise, and a delivery network of football club community foundations and trusts including Celtic FC Foundation, Glasgow Life, Hibernian Community Foundation, Motherwell FC Community Trust, Dundee FC, KA Leisure, Pars Foundation, Stirling Albion, and Strikers Indoor Football. The organisation is led by a board of trustees, supported by named officers including a Referee Liaison Officer (Andy Halliday MBE) and a Parkinson's Educator (Drew Wilson).

Name

Walking Football Scotland

Legal name

Walking Football Scotland

Website

https://walkingfootballscotland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Walking Football Scotland is a registered Scottish charity and the de facto national governing body for walking football, coordinating over 150 affiliated sessions across all 32 Scottish local authorities for adults aged 50+, with specialised Parkinson's and women's programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Sports Governance and Community Recreation

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF), Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Walking football sessions
• Sports charity governance
• Older adult fitness
• Competitive age-tiered leagues
• Parkinson's exercise programme

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship: Walking Football Scotland offers commercial sponsorship opportunities to organizations seeking to support walking football across Scotland. Sponsorship tiers include nationwide and local tournament/festival sponsorship, branded equipment and promotional items, and members educational and training programmes. In return, sponsors receive media exposure, website branding, social media mentions, and promotional materials.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates a club shop through partnership with RJM Sports Ltd offering WFS branded sportswear including polo shirts, t-shirts, training tops and bottoms. Revenue is generated through the sale of branded merchandise to members and supporters.
3. Club Affiliation: Walking Football Scotland affiliates clubs and groups that agree to work within WFS governance policies and compete in national competitions. Affiliated clubs pay membership fees and gain access to competitions, resources, and the organization's network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Walking Football Scotland is a registered Scottish charity that organizes and governs walking football across Scotland through a network of 150+ affiliated sessions and clubs. Its core service is facilitating access to age-tiered competitive leagues (Premierships, Championships, Conferences, Cups), specialized programmes such as Parkinson's walking football and women's walking football, governance resources (Laws of the Game, policies), player development workshops, branded merchandise, and sponsorship programme management.

Product overview

Walking Football Scotland is a charity operating a platform of walking football services across Scotland. The core offering consists of a club directory enabling participants to find local walking football sessions nationwide, complemented by specialized programmes including Parkinson's Walking Football and Women's Walking Football. Competitive opportunities span multiple age categories (O40's through O75's) through organized leagues, cups, and festivals, including the annual WFS Scottish Cup. The organization also provides governance resources, player development workshops, and merchandise through retail partnerships. The services are delivered through a network of affiliated clubs, regional teams, and institutional partnerships across Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WFS Competitions (Premierships, Championships, Conferences) Organized competitive leagues across multiple age categories (O40's, O50's, O60's, O65's, O70's, O75's) for men and women at regional and national levels, including Premierships, Championships and Conferences. For affiliated walking football clubs and their players across Scotland.
• WFS Scottish Cup & Festival Annual flagship national tournament and festival event for walking football teams from across Scotland, including the 2026 edition held at Glasgow Green Football Centre sponsored by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.
• Regional Teams Programme WFS Regional Teams formed through selection from each region's manager and assistant, competing in friendlies and the annual Regional League Cup & Trophy events. For selected regional walking football players.
• Player Development Workshops Educational workshops and training programmes for player development, including coaching and skills development across Scotland. For walking football players and coaches.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 walking football sessions available across Scotland
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chest Heart & Stroke ScotlandcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 June 2026Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland sponsored the WFS Scottish Cup & Festival 2026 held at Glasgow Green Football Centre on Saturday 6th June 2026. The event featured registration at 9:30am with kick-off at 10:15am.
• Parkinson's UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalking Football Scotland and Parkinson's UK entered into a partnership to grow the offer of Parkinson's walking football sessions in Scotland. The partnership sets out how WFS and Parkinson's UK will collaborate and share resources to increase access to walking football opportunities for people with Parkinson's. Drew Wilson was appointed WFS Parkinson's Educator in March 2024 to train coaches and support sessions across the country. Lois Rosenthal, Parkinson's Specialist Physio, supports WFS Parkinson's training delivery.
• RJM Sports LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWalking Football Scotland announced an agreement with RJM Sports Ltd and Uhlsport, offering all walking footballers, family and friends the opportunity to purchase WFS branded sportswear. RJM Sports Ltd is a family run business founded in 2003, providing sportswear through their online club shop.
• UhlsportminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman sporting goods manufacturer Uhlsport partnered with WFS and RJM Sports. RJM Sports has kindly sponsored WFS Regional team strips featuring Uhlsport branding.
• Celtic FC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCeltic FC Foundation partnered with Glasgow Life and Parkinson's UK to launch a programme of regular Parkinson's walking football sessions in Glasgow. The programme is part of the broader WFS-Parkinson's UK initiative.
• Glasgow LifecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGlasgow Life partnered with Celtic FC Foundation and Parkinson's UK to deliver regular walking football sessions for people with Parkinson's in Glasgow. Glasgow Life also offers general walking football sessions across multiple venues in Glasgow.
• Hibernian Community FoundationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHibernian Community Foundation partners with WFS to deliver walking football sessions in Edinburgh, including sessions for people with Parkinson's.
• Dundee FCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDundee FC partners with WFS to deliver Parkinson's walking football sessions in Dundee through Dundee FC Community Trust.
• KA LeisureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKA Leisure partners with WFS to deliver Parkinson's walking football sessions in Ayrshire.
• Pars FoundationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPars Foundation partners with WFS to deliver Parkinson's walking football sessions in Fife.
• Stirling AlbionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStirling Albion Foundation partners with WFS to deliver Parkinson's walking football sessions in Stirling on Tuesdays 11am-12pm at Forthbank.
• Strikers Indoor FootballminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStrikers Indoor Football partners with WFS to deliver Parkinson's walking football sessions in Aberdeen.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Celtic FC Foundation: Celtic FC Foundation is one of WFS's key implementation partners for delivering Parkinson's walking football sessions in Glasgow. It operates community programmes through football club foundations, overlapping with WFS's grassroots football delivery model — both leverage football infrastructure to deliver health and social programmes.

Regional players

• England Walking Football Association: England Walking Football runs regional and national walking football competitions across England, mirroring WFS's Scotland-only Premiership/Championship structure. Comparable in governance model and competition tiering but serves a different (English) geography, making it a regional peer rather than a direct competitor.
• Walking Football Wales: Walking Football Wales is the national walking football body for Wales, operating a comparable model of affiliated clubs, leagues, and competitions. It is a regional peer serving the Welsh market rather than competing directly with WFS in Scotland.
• Walking Football Ireland: Walking Football Ireland is the national organization promoting walking football across Ireland, with a comparable mission of standardized rules, affiliated clubs, and competitions. It serves a separate jurisdiction but operates an analogous model to Walking Football Scotland.

Broad incumbents

• Scottish Football Association (SFA): The SFA is the national governing body for football in Scotland. WFS operates within the broader Scottish football ecosystem that the SFA oversees, and SFA-trained referee networks (Andy Halliday MBE is an SFA VAR training assistant) connect WFS to mainstream football governance.
• sportscotland: sportscotland is Scotland's national sport agency and likely a key stakeholder/funder in the Scottish sport ecosystem. As a broad incumbent in Scottish sport governance, it represents the type of organization that supports bodies like WFS and sets the wider context in which WFS operates.

Others

• Parkinson's UK: Parkinson's UK is WFS's Core strategic partner for the Parkinson's walking football programme. While not a competitor, it is a closely related organization sharing the same participant population and brand surface area, making it a relevant ecosystem peer.
• Age Scotland: Age Scotland is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people in Scotland — the same demographic WFS serves through walking football. While not a sports organization, it shares the target audience, health-and-wellness mission, and Scottish charity structure that defines WFS's market.
• Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland: Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is the sponsor of WFS's flagship Scottish Cup & Festival 2026 and a health-focused Scottish charity serving overlapping demographic groups (older adults, cardiovascular/stroke patients). It is a partnership peer with aligned mission rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Walking Football Association (WFA): The Walking Football Association is the UK-wide governing body for walking football, providing its own laws of the game, affiliated clubs, leagues, and competitions. It is the most direct competitor to Walking Football Scotland, operating across the entire UK with broader geographic reach and competing for sponsor attention and affiliated clubs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WalkingFootScot
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walking-football-scotland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Walking Football Scotland