After a hip replacement ruled out the five a side football he had played for years, Tony assumed his playing days were over. A friend suggested he try one of the club's walking football sessions instead, mainly as a way to get moving again.
The slower pace suited his recovery and the sessions gave him a reason to get out of the house twice a week during a difficult period. Coaches adapted drills where needed and never made him feel like he was holding the group back.
Eighteen months on, Tony plays every week and has become one of the session's regular organisers, helping new players settle in the way he was helped when he first arrived.