ON its first evening, members of Clydebank’s walking football club found themselves having to shock one player back to life after a heart attack.

Organiser Les Austin said the man would likely have been dead if he’d been home at the time. Doctors told him to keep playing.

Two years later, the posse of pensioners are still loving life on the pitch – and just at the right pace.

The lads playing walking football every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at West College Scotland have an average age of about 64 but they are keeping fit and active as the club continues to expand.

Players continue to take on the sport as the club has added extra days from the original one hour a week. They’ve gone from three players the first night to 46 on the books.

And Les, 66, said they’d happily go to five days a week or find bigger premises if demand keeps growing.

Recently the elder statements of the beautiful game took on some of the college players – and beat them soundly. They just didn’t know how to slow down.

“The intensity to win is still there,” said Les, who is involved in Drumchapel Amateurs and has 40 years of coaching experience. “The skills don’t leave you – you just slow down.

“There’s no physical contact, no tackling – it’s about pass and move, pass and move.

“It’s a lot more difficult. People don’t realise that.”

With the right connections to the college, the players got access to the sports hall and coaching students got training connected to Drumchapel’s “Young Lions”, aged three and four, who play at the weekends.

From that young age to walking football’s 84-year-old member, everyone is getting involved.

It was originally offered for free, but players offered £1 a session and that’s allowed the club to hold nights out and donate to charity.

Jim Brown, 63, from Duntocher, another organiser, said he has lost a stone and a half and he can run now where he couldn’t before.

“I never thought I would kick a ball again,” he said. “It’s a good bunch of guys. I hope I’m doing this when I’m 84.

“The college gets something, we are fundraising for charity - it’s a total circle of support.”

Pat Byrne, 69, from Hardgate, joined about 14 months ago and had played on a seven-a-side team until they lost their facilities.

He admitted he wasn’t sure he would enjoy the walking game after being used to the larger pitch.

“It was very difficult the first few months,” he said. “Human nature tells you to run for the ball.

“It’s not a case of how good you are – there are different abilities and age groups,” he said. “It’s playing with a similar age group as opposed to younger ones. It’s not about winning, just enjoying yourself.”

John White, from Faifley, joined the club about six weeks ago after two knee replacements meant he had to lose four-and-half-stone for an operation.

And walking football is helping keep him fit.

“I’m just enjoying playing football again,” said the 60-year-old labourer.

– Walking football is on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4pm in the college above the garage. Call 01389 382426 for more.

– The club will host a Pie, Pint and Pundit on June 9 at 7.30pm at “The Hibby”