On Monday evening, Newport County and County in the Community were proud to welcome Beti United, a Parkinson’s Walking Football team from Bilbao in the Basque Country, for a very special visit to South Wales.
The team recently reached out to the Club after learning about our new away shirt collaboration with Athletic Club Bilbao, which pays tribute to the Basque children who sought refuge in Newport in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. The strong cultural and historical ties between Newport and Bilbao made the opportunity to connect even more meaningful.
As part of their stay in South Wales ahead of the prestigious Ray Kennedy Weekend European Challenge, hosted in Cardiff last weekend, Beti United joined a County in the Community walking football session. The evening saw them take part in a friendly against Newport County’s own walking football side, strengthening the links between the two communities both on and off the pitch.
The match was played in a fantastic spirit, with plenty of camaraderie, smiles and shared passion for football. It also highlighted the value of walking football in supporting health, wellbeing and social connection, particularly for people living with Parkinson’s.
Newport County and County in the Community would like to thank Beti United for joining us at Rodney Parade and wish them the very best of luck in their future tournaments.
