Gareth Southgate isn’t the only England football manager who is having a good time of things at the moment.
 
The 47-year-old has deservedly been lauded for his role in guiding England to the semi-finals of the World Cup, and while he is proving that he is very much the man for the top job, Stuart Langworthy is proving he is very much the right man to play a leading role in England’s walking football adventure.
 
Langworthy, who has done so much for Abbeymead Rovers over the years – and still does – is these days manager of England Over-60s walking football team, and the next step in the adventure will see him take his team over the Severn Bridge to play Wales at Barry Town a week today.
 
Langworthy was appointed to the voluntary role last October and so far boasts a 100 per cent record, having beaten Italy 3-0 at Brighton’s Amex Stadium at the end of May.
 
It was a game in which Tommy Charlton – brother of England’s 1966 World Cup heroes Bobby and Jack – played the last 15 minutes.
 
“It was a fantastic occasion,” said Langworthy. “It was the first ever walking football international and the Italians have invited us back to play in their country in the Spring.
 
“It wasn’t the biggest crowd – about 100 – but it was still a great day.”
 
What made it extra special was that Tommy Charlton, who has been appointed as an ambassador by the Walking Football Association (WFA), was able to pull on an England shirt after watching his brothers play for their country so often in years gone by.
 
“We got him on in the closing stages and he nearly scored,” said Langworthy. “We fixed it so he could wear the number 9 shirt, which was the shirt number Bobby wore in the World Cup final. He was so happy.”
 
Tommy Charlton will be at Barry a week today in an ambassadorial role – he won’t be playing in the game because he has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The WFA have adopted Prostate Cancer UK as their charity.
 
“Tommy will be the guest of honour and will meet the teams before the games,” said Langworthy.
 
The over-50s will also be playing at Barry, and with ‘shadow’ squads for both age groups it means four matches will be played at Jenner Park. Matches are six-a-side and 25 minutes each way.
 
And there will be at least one familiar name playing at the home of the Welsh Premier League club. Step forward Alan Kennedy, the one-time Liverpool and Newcastle star, who will be turning out for the over-60s.
 
The 64-year-old – it was his birthday yesterday – wasn’t available to play against Italy but will get his chance on the 3G pitch against Wales. It won’t be the first time he has played against the Welsh because he won one of his two full England caps against them back in the day, although he won’t have happy memories of the game at Wrexham in May 1984 as England were beaten 1-0.
 
While Kennedy will obviously be in the first team at Barry, goalkeeper John Hammonds is set to play in the over-60s shadow team. Hammonds plays walking football for Stroud but has also played for Abbeymead, as well as super vets for Abbeymead’s seven-a-side running football team.
 
And another Stroud player – Rob Pass – is almost certain to be involved with the over-50s, who are managed by Paul Murtagh. He too is likely to be in the shadow squad.
 
Langworthy, meanwhile, is hoping that the games against the Welsh are just as good as the game against Italy.
 
“It was a good game, very competitive,” he said.
 
The over-50s beat Italy 2-0 and then, to complete a very good day on the south coast, the England management team played the Italian management team in a friendly.
 
“That was brilliant,” said Langworthy. “It was just a bit of fun but we beat them. It was just great to pull on an England shirt – it was like the old style Kevin Keegan shirts – and my two sons Ross and Ben both also played. Ross scored three goals, I got two and Ben got one.”
 
The Wales games are part of the build-up to next year’s European Championships, which will take place in Chesterfield on June 1st and 2nd. John Croot, who invented walking football, is a director of Chesterfield Football Club.
 
It is also thought that a World Cup, planned for 2020, will take place at Chesterfield as well.