June 2015
Luton Town FC posted the following on their website and social media:

Your chance to represent the Hatters in Football League tournament: Over 50? Want to pull on the shirt and represent the Hatters against other Football League clubs in a five-a-side game of Walking Football? Free on the afternoon of Friday 19th June? Well, if you’ve answered yes to all three questions then we want to hear from you! Our community department are looking for players to take part in an inaugural Football League Walking Tournament, which kicks-off with the regional heats, in Luton at Venue 360, on 19th June between 1pm and 4pm.

The Town five-a-side team(s) will face the likes of Norwich, Orient, Northampton and Stevenage, with the winners joining the regional champions at the national finals which will be held at the FA’s St George’s Park on Monday 6th July. So, if you’re male, female, over 50 and fancy the challenge that is walking football whilst also donning the Hatters’ colours, get in touch with our community department now!

Interestingly, I have no recollection of a single female appearing in any of the teams present at the 2nd EFL Community Trust Walking Football Cup

There were enough volunteers to create 3 LTFC sides who competed in a knock out tournament. Two of the three Luton sides, one featuring Mark Robinson, David Alker & Paul Haynes, the other including Arthur Mason, David Brown and Paul Moriarty made it to the semi-finals stage – not bad considering hardly any of us had played the game before and most of us didn’t know each other!

After the tournament LTFC were unable to continue support for the players and were encouraged to continue playing and organising themselves into a walking football club. Arthur Mason took up the challenge and as a player manager and main organiser he ensured that the Luton Town Walking Football Club was involved in various tournamentsts available through this fast growing sport of walking football. Under his responsibility the club won several trophies over the next few years.

Arthur was so integral to Luton Town Walking Football Club’s development and commitment to regular sessions and tournament play that in 2020, when he passed and COVID had it’s global grip on physical group activity the LTWFC found it hard to pick up continue his legacy – he was a hard act to follow.

To Date
Luton Town Walking Football Club now runs regular free play sessions for men and training sessions for ladies. Since 2021 our men’s playing sessions having been re-estabished, Luton Town Walking Football Club has once again been engaged in competitive tournament activity; we’ve even recently (October 2024) entered a mixed female and male team tournament with some limited success.

Challenges
Walking Football is in a similar postitionnthat Association Football found during it’s infancy. Multiple governing bodies, multiple rules, confusion and lack of cohesion. With this in mind, the club is triding these waves and continues to recruit members and playing competitive games while striving to provide guidance, support and complaince through its volunteer committee members and team managers.