Phil Chats with Spencer Pratten – FIWFA World Walking Footballer of the Year 2025

Spencer Pratten was recently named World Walking Footballer of the Year 2025. He has captained England to two World Cup wins and is now head coach at Chelmsford City WFC. He was born in Plaistow on Valentine's Day 1955, a short distance from Upton Park and one of the great loves of his life, West Ham United. He has proper East End credentials; his grandfather was a docker.

Phil: Hello Spencer, and thank you for taking the time to speak with Over the Edge magazine. It’s an honour to be in the presence of football royalty! Tell us a little about yourself and your football journey.

Spencer: Although I was born in East London, my family moved around quite a bit when I was a youngster. My football career started at about age 10 when I was picked for Nottingham Schoolboys. Eventually, we moved ‘back home’ to Romford in the mid-60s, and from then, I played for several Essex teams, starting with Upminster Youth. From age 19, I had a twenty-year semi-professional career with clubs including Hornchurch, Rainham, Dagenham, Aveley and Tilbury.

The peak of my career was playing for Chelmsford City between 1980 and 1983 at New Writtle Street. I loved my time with The City and played alongside the likes of Frankie Bishop, Micky Bright, and my closest friend at the club, the brilliant Bobby Moss. I finished my career in my mid-30s at Witham Town in the Essex Senior League. I suppose you could say I was a journeyman Essex footballer.

Phil: How did you get into walking football?

Spencer: After I finished playing, I took my FA coaching qualifications and spent a couple of years in management and coaching. Then I stepped away from the game before returning briefly to veterans’ football in my late 40s. After that, I thought my playing days were over.

Then, in 2014, I saw a Barclays-sponsored walking football advert on TV. Now there’s slow walking and there’s Barclays advert slow! It didn’t appeal to me at all, and my ex-mates felt the same. But a friend was running the Arsenal Community over-60s walking football team and invited me to a small tournament. I’d never played walking football before, but within five minutes on the pitch, I was hooked. I thought, wow, this is superb. After playing all my life, it was the thrill of having my football brain re-engaged.

Phil: For readers unfamiliar with the game, could you briefly summarise the format and laws of walking football?

Spencer: It’s a six-a-side format played on 3G pitches, roughly a quarter the size of a full pitch. There’s no tackling permitted, the ball mustn’t go above head height, and of course, running is not allowed. Matches are two twenty-minute halves.

Phil: You’ve played for England and captained the side. Tell us about your selection.

Spencer: I played for the Arsenal Community over-60s team for about a year before moving to Chelmsford. Around 2016, I was playing well and scoring plenty of goals, so I was put forward for England trials.

I performed well at the initial trials at Millwall and progressed to a final trial at Solihull. That didn’t go quite so well. I’d only played about 20 minutes when a hefty challenge almost broke my leg, and I had to sit out the rest of the trial with an ice pack on my shin. A member of the management team came over and said how sorry he was that I’d got injured and that I was probably feeling a bit down. Then he added, “But you did enough. You're in the England team.” I just sat there thinking, wow.

As I was hobbling away, one of the last to leave, the manager, Stuart Langworthy, called me over. He put his hands around my arm and said, “The captain’s armband is going to fit you nicely — we’re making you skipper.” From there, I went on to play in the first-ever walking football international against Italy at Brighton’s Amex Stadium on May 13, 2018. We won 3-0 and Tommy Charlton — younger brother of Jack and Bobby — featured for us.

Phil: I assume some impressive statistics helped earn you the World Player of the Year award. How did you hear the news?

Spencer: I’ve made 55 appearances for England over-60s and scored 44 goals. I’ve captained the team for eight years, and we won the World Cup in 2023, the European Championship in 2024 and then retained the World Cup in Spain in October last year.

I actually learned about the award on my birthday when I got a call from Paul Carr, director of the Walking Football Association.

He said, “Hi Spencer, it’s Paul here. I haven’t seen you since the World Cup — how are you?” I said, “Fine.”

Then he asked, “When the French awarded you the Prix du Joueur Étranger — their European player award — did you get a poster?” I told him yes, it was framed and hanging in my man shed.

He said, “Good, because I’ve got some news. You’ve just been named FIWFA World Walking Footballer of the Year 2025.”

I honestly thought it was a wind-up. I was speechless. Paul said, “Are you still there?” and I replied, “Yes… but is this real?” He sent me the link, and the rest is history. Since then, I’ve been interviewed on various BBC television and radio shows.

Phil: Your passion for the game is obvious, and you’re a strong advocate for older people taking it up. What would be your message to anyone thinking of giving it a try?

Spencer: It’s easy to be passionate about this sport because it has dramatically changed my life and the lives of thousands of people around the world, both mentally and physically.

The idea that men — and increasingly women — in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s would be out in the open enjoying the beautiful game, albeit a slower version of it, would have been unthinkable twenty years ago. The same applies to people dealing with cancer or Parkinson’s illness who now have their own walking football teams to represent. Around 100,000 people now play walking football in the UK, and the numbers keep growing. It really is never too late to get involved. Locally, Chelmsford City Walking Football Club has a great community focus, excellent facilities and always welcomes new members.

If anyone is interested, they can visit the website ccwfc.co.uk or email info@ccwfc.co.uk

Phil: Finally, what’s next for Spencer Pratten? What are your future ambitions?

Spencer: At 71, I think it’s probably time to step aside and let some ‘youngsters’ into the team. I still feel technically good enough — I scored five goals at the World Cup a few months ago — but it’s not a great look for a 71-year-old to be playing in the England 60s!

So, I’m taking a short break before hopefully moving up to the England 70s team later this year, in time for the European international tournament in Spain in September.

Phil: Thank you so much for your time Spencer, and congratulations again on the award.

Spencer: You’re very welcome — it’s been my pleasure.

What was immediately obvious when chatting with Spencer was his infectious enthusiasm and passion for life. As well as captaining his country and winning World Cups at 71 (he looks at least 15 years younger), he still works as a surveyor, plays guitar in a rock band and runs a TikTok channel featuring his comedy character.

If walking football provides this sort of youthful energy, I might have to give it a look.

Phil – Over the Edge