A FORMER Wimborne magistrate has been chosen for England's over-75 team football team.

Malcolm Weale, the longest-serving magistrate in the UK, has been chosen to play for England on July 3 against Wales.

Part of the over 75s squad, Malcolm is set to play as a holding midfielder in the match which will take place at St George's Park, Burton upon Trent.

He said: "I'm very hopeful and very positive and that's the way you should go into a game and we're playing well as a team so there's no reason why we shouldn't be successful.

"In my younger days, I played for Hertfordshire and was coached by Sir Walter Winterbottom and Billy Wright and I was signed by Watford as a schoolboy at 16."

Although showing early promise as a footballer, Malcolm was accepted into the Royal Academy of Music aged 18 and decided to pursue his career in music. 

After a long career as a musician and as the chair of the adult and youth court as well as the appraiser of magistrates in Wimborne, he has returned to football as part of AFC Bournemouth. 

He said: "The camaraderie and the friendship is wonderful and it certainly keeps the body fit and hopefully the mind as well. 

"I also play for AFC Bournemouth for the elite squad and we have a coach called Paul Topps who used to manage in the first division of the Belgium league and Torquay United and he's a very fine coach."

Malcolm has played for England since December and recently played the Republic of Ireland in a walking football match. 

However, there will be no walking in the game against Wales and so Malcolm is aware of how important stamina will be. 

He said: "It all depends on the tactics and the strategy and how we play up front and whether we control the game from the middle. 

"I can't give too many tactics away but we have to adjust the game but the pace should be equivalent because you're playing the same age team."

While England plays in Germany, Malcolm hopes to take the win on home soil.