The Dark Side of (Later-Life) Leisure: The Case of Walking Football

Abstract

Leisure is heralded as a channel for connection, belonging, and inclusion in later-life, particularly owing to a presumed threat of isolation and loneliness. Yet, such a framing of later-life leisure risks obscuring moments of conflict and marginalization. Drawing on interviews with 65 people who play walking football, this article explores how players praise its “inclusive” ethic by asserting and celebrating open recruitment policies, the participation of men and women from mixed social backgrounds, and the accommodations afforded to certain players. However, participants simultaneously highlight instances in which inclusion is compromised, such as players disturbing the “ethos” of the sport and mistreating others on account of gender and/or performance levels. Such transgressions, in turn, are navigated in different ways by players and organizers to preserve the sport’s inclusive reputation. To conclude, this article sketches out how the experiences of walking footballers can disrupt sentimental and idealized conceptions of older people’s leisure.