Isle of Man walking footballers participated in an international tournament in Birmingham the weekend before last, achieving some impressive results.

Against high-quality opposition from England and Celtic Nations, the island’s over-60s team recorded two group stage victories.

Craig Hawley netted all four goals in a 4-1 win over Celtic Nations, while Graham Cain and Hugh Duffy grabbed the goals in a 2-1 success over England Reds. The team also lost 3-0 to England Whites.

The Isle of Man over-50s team also played three matches. They lost 2-1 to England Whites, with Karl Hunter netting the consolation for the Manx side on his international debut, while they went down 2-0 to England Reds and 1-0 to Celtic Nations.

Attention now turns overseas on April 18 when the Isle of Man over-60s team heads to Portugal to compete in a major international event featuring 24 teams from 10 countries across three continents.

Home supporters will get their first taste of international action on April 25-26 when the IoMWFA 60/65s host the England Parkinson’s team at St John’s.

The Greater Manchester League, now perennial visitors to the island, then return on May 9-10 with another strong representative side.

Saturday, July 11 is likely to be one of the standout dates of the year, with the island travelling to Birmingham for a six-way tournament involving teams from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Caribbean.

The international season then concludes on September 8-9 with a return fixture against the Greater Manchester League at Heywood.

Preparations are already well underway, with team training taking place at St John’s on Monday evenings.

The IoMWFA continues to grow and is keen to welcome new members of all abilities, both men and women, to join the sport at every level as another important season approaches.

For more information, contact secretary Mike Sharpe on 496862 or by emailing [email protected]