Walking football has become ‘gospel’ for the locals of Enfield Town after outside funding allowed the club to spread the good news.

The Towners used grant money from the Trident Community Foundation to set up a walking football club to support older men in their local area, providing an important outlet for exercise, friendship, and mental health.

The club are one of more than 40 to have received a grant from the Trident Community Foundation, established by Isthmian League partners Pitching In, a multi-million-pound grassroots sport investment programme powered by Entain.

The groundbreaking initiative sees clubs at the seventh and eighth tiers of English football receive grants of up to £5,000 to launch new or expand existing community-based project and has awarded more than £400,000 to clubs since its launch.

Tony Scrimali has more than reaped the rewards of the Towners’ initiative, giving him a vital outlet for exercise while also allowing him to meet a brand-new group of friends.

“I had a hip replacement a couple of years ago, and as a man in his sixties, I tried to find something I enjoyed doing for exercise,” he told England legend and Pitching In ambassador Stuart Pearce.

“Me and a couple of buddies I've brought along have only been coming for three or four months and it's become gospel for us. We just love it, it's just fantastic.

“I'm a local man and I’ve met new friends, and you'd be amazed at the competitiveness of it. You say it's walking, but you feel like you're playing normal football.”

For Scrimali, walking football has also brought him closer to his local club, opening his eyes to the incredible spirit that goes with non-league.

As such, he has encouraged fans across the country to immerse themselves in non-league regardless of which football team they support.

“It’s great value, you've got none of the aggro you get at some of the bigger clubs and the players, they become your idols,” he added.

“There are certain players who are doing well like Sam Youngs and Marcus Wyllie, they’ve got a bit of a cult following with some of these lads here. It's great fun.”

With walking football encouraging an older age-group to get back involved in sport, the initiative has done wonders for the mental health of some Enfield Town locals.

This is especially the case for those struggling to stay active in retirement, with team member Kevin Lewis hailing the impact the project has had on some of his teammates’ wellbeing.

“It brings people together from different walks of life,” Lewis said. “You have some people that are retired, so it's good to get people that aren't necessarily working and doing other things.

“It works well and it gives people a purpose sometimes, something to actually get up, get out and do.

“We have some players who are in their seventies who still come along, more for the social side of it. If they're on their own or whatever, they come out.

“It's good for the mental health and it's good physically as well. It's really good.”

Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. For more details see: https://www.entaingroup.com/sustainability-esg/entain-foundation/pitching-in/