THE walking footballers of Bangor FC have enjoyed international success by winning the over 60s bowl competition at the recent Algarve Cup in Portugal.
The popular tournament saw 35 teams from across Europe take part and the Seasiders arrived with a strong squad and high hopes of success.
On day one the locals not only had to deal with the intense heat but also faced top quality opposition including Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth. Although competitive in all their matches the results did not fall in favour of the North Down outfit and they qualified for the Bowl competition.
Day two was a different story as an acclimatised Bangor side really hit top form and enjoyed a 2-0 semi final victory over Danish side Copenhagen Celtic with reliable strikers Maurice Mackey and Sam Sittlington both finding the net.
In the other Bowl semi, Scottish side Sauchie Juniors claimed an impressive 2-0 win over Portuguese team Odiaxere.
The final proved to be a real battle in the sun with little to choose between the two determined sides. However vastly experienced Seasiders captain Tony Kerr provided a moment of magic when the defender struck a thunderous shot to break Sauchie hearts and claim a 1-0 victory for Bangor.
A big thank you to Michael Walker for his tireless efforts which made the trip possible and now that the Bangor FC Walking Footballers have tasted success in Vilamoura they will surely be looking forward to testing their skills against top class opposition again next year.
