AFC BOURNEMOUTH’S over-70s walking football team ‘stands a good chance’ of taking home the national title as it takes on the best teams in the country.

As reported, the team, which is run and coached by the AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust, won the Southern League for the second year in a row, after the league was founded just three years ago.

Dave Lander is the team’s captain, said the team ‘stands a good chance of winning’ at the national finals in Nottingham at the end of August, with a ‘really good team’ up against seven other clubs.

“Six of the nine in the photo have played at international level for England and eight of the nine have played at county level for Dorset,” he said.

The squad consists of players aged from 70 to 76, with Dave also captaining the Dorset side.

They won the league by four points ahead of Cove, beating six other teams including sides from Exeter and Fleet.

Dave described the sport: “It’s primarily designed for the elderly because it's a non-contact sport. Walking, as in walking football, the ball is supposed to be kept below head height.

“So what they normally say about walking football is fun, friendship and fitness.

“It wasn't taken too seriously when it first came out, but now it's got leagues sort of springing up all over the country and they say it's probably the fastest growing sport at the moment.”

The team trains once a week at the Cherries Community Sports Trust facilities in Ringwood.

Dave said the club has excellent facilities there, along with excellent coaches.

The team is one of two Cherries sides, and is named the AFC Bournemouth Reds, with the other team, the AFC Bournemouth Blacks, also competing in the Southern League.

The Reds won 27 of their 36 matches, scoring 82 goals, as Cherries and Cove finished well clear of the other teams in the league.

The national finals will be held between August 30 and September 1.

Cherries will be up against Birmingham, Portsmouth, Preston North End, Little Oakley, Kingston and Winstanley Walkers.