John Critchley is 66 years old and from Islington. He has been a member of our walking football team for nearly three years now. John tells us how it has changed his life for the better…
“In December 2022 I was overweight and unfit, weighing in at 104.5kg at an annual review with my GP. I suffered from Type 2 diabetes and decided that, at 64 years of age, this was positively dangerous and was threatening, not just to my physical health but my overall happiness and was seriously limiting my prospects for the last five years or so of my professional life, jeopardising an anticipated (hoped-for) retirement packed with rich experiences. My GP referred me to the Arsenal in the Community Shape Up programme and my objectives were to start on a journey of weight loss and increased physical fitness.
“It worked. Three months later I was down to 80kg and much fitter – it had been life-changing.
“As a successful graduate of Shape Up I was introduced to the walking football sessions at The Arsenal Hub run by Rhys Ratcliffe, who encouraged and welcomed me. My reasons for joining were fourfold: to help continue the healthy living and fitness regimes started on Shape Up; to resume playing football, which I’d always loved, but stopped playing at about 50; to meet a new and diverse group of people and, lastly, to become more involved with my local community, in particular the Arsenal community.
“All of these have happened, and much more.
“David (and his team, especially Josh) runs a terrific session each week, balancing sound instruction with amusing matches to develop skills, keep us engaged and thinking about how we are playing. The sessions might include ‘three touch’; ‘two players plus goalie in home half’ or a designated player having one touch only.
“The thorough warm-ups are excellent and without the discipline of a professional, coached warm-up, participants would not be able to resist piling in, smacking the balls around and pulling muscles left right and centre!
“David offers helpful words of coaching wisdom, typically offering deft advice to focus on a specific aspect of the game in each session. He’s a shrewd analyst, even of the level of football our group offers.
“We also prepare to play competitive matches in competitions against other walking football groups, from other professional clubs or community organisations. Dave prepares and supports us extremely well and in the games I have played we have never felt out of our depth and have been able to represent Arsenal in the Community effectively.
“Dave is a good coach and a decent human being – he has good values and obviously cares equally for all the participants, whatever their individual background or ability. This helps to create an enjoyable, inclusive vibe. To be fair to him, he’s also a really good laugh.
“Rhys is a remarkable organiser and enjoys the respect and affection of us all.
“I am fitter now at 66 than I was at 55 – and by some distance. Walking football has made a big contribution to this. As a result of maintaining (and increasing) the managed weight loss from the Shape Up course, I have been able (on medical advice) to entirely dispense with some of my diabetes medication and I am now on a path to full remission, with a reasonable expectation that I will be able to stop taking medication altogether in due course.
“This makes everything better – from work, to family life, to participating in my community.
“The most striking impact was a recent health benefit. In January 2025, out of a clear blue sky, I became seriously ill with an infected gall bladder. Because I had lost weight, shed so much visceral fat, and got fit with Arsenal Community I was able to withstand major emergency abdominal surgery and make a full and rapid recovery. I am now back playing. After the operation, the consultant surgeon specifically referred to the great advantage I had at my age of being relatively fit, not significantly overweight, decently active and in good condition. I credit Arsenal with that (and so did he).
“As I said, life changing.
“I also really value being a part of the Arsenal family. We are hugely privileged, the club look after us wonderfully well and – for example – we have met club legends who have been charming to us and generous with their time, we went on a tour of Sobha Realty Training Centrea nd we get to play each week at The Hub, and are kitted out for our tournaments and friendly matches! There are a lot of reasons to be miserable these days but Walking Football for me is an unambiguous ray of sunshine in a troubled world. Arsenal should be proud of it.”
Arsenal Walking Football sessions run five days per week in Islington, Camden and Hackney, and are open to men and women over the age of 50. For more information email Rhys Ratcliffe at [rratcliffe@arsenal.co.uk](mailto:rratcliffe@arsenal.co.uk).
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