COLCHESTER United will battle it out for cup final glory tomorrow.

The U’s are one of 12 finalists at the EFL Trust Walking Football Cup Finals, where teams of men and women aged over 50 will go for glory at Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground.

Colchester won a competition staged by EFL and Conference clubs across the country to make it through to the finals stage.

And they will now represent their club in the white and blue of the U’s in the regional finals, with the winners and runners-up going through to the final.

Colchester will this weekend battle it out for honours with reigning Walking Football champions Blackpool, along with Blackburn Rovers, Bradford City, Cheltenham Town, Dagenham and Redbridge, Gillingham, Kidderminster Harriers, Luton Town, Notts County, Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield United.

Walking Football is growing in stature with an increase in participation year on year.

More than 1,500 men and women from a record-breaking 200 teams have taken part in this year’s competition - a 17 per cent increase in teams from last year.

The slow-paced version of the beautiful game, aimed specifically at the over 50s, has grown enormously over the last few years with proven health and social benefits of its participants.

A survey completed during last year’s competition showed that 82 per cent of participants believe their physical health has improved by playing walking football, with 79 per cent of those competing in last year’s competition saying their level of exercise has increased.

Mike Evans, Director of Operations at the EFL Trust said: “The Walking Football Cup Final is a key event in the EFL Trust calendar and is now into its third year.

“We recognise the social and health benefits the game has for participants and want to use the power of professional clubs to help grow the game.

“The cup provides ‘healthy competition’ in every sense of the word. It’s a chance to represent your local club, wear the club badge and play against league clubs.”

The event will also see a Legends Game between an EFL and its charity partner Prostate Cancer UK, with a number of ex-pros on the team sheets pitting Villa stalwarts Shaun Teale, Ian Taylor and Bryan Small against ex-Birmingham City players Michael Johnson and Dave Regis.