ENGLAND have a love-hate relationship with penalty shootouts in major tournaments – but the over 75s side have recently won a shootout to secure the World Cup.

The Three Lions beat hosts Wales 5-4 on penalties and Bournemouth’s professor Malcolm Weale was a penalty scorer in the cup-winning side.

The former magistrate took up football once he retired aged 70 in 2017 and joined the AFC Bournemouth walking football side to keep fit and to stimulate his mind and body.

He had played for Hertfordshire schoolboys and signed for Watford age 16 before deciding to pursue a music career and go to the Royal Academy of Music aged 18.

From his time at Cherries playing at the Ringwood Sports Hub, Prof Weale was invited to join the England walking football team.

(Image: Newsquest)

He was then selected to play for the England over-75s side, which is played with the same rules as any other football game, with running, heading and the works, which aren’t including in the walking format.

The former Bolshoi Kirov Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra trumpeter made his debut for England against Wales in July of this year at St George’s Park, The FA’s national football centre.

England won 7-1 in a match refereed by former Premier League ref Dermot Gallagher, and Prof Weale was called up to the World Cup squad, which was being held in Cardiff.

He told the Daily Echo: “In our first game we played Wales’ second team and we beat them 13-0.

“Then we played the Danish team and won 7-0. So, progress on the Tuesday was going well.

“On the second day we played Australia and we won 4-0.

(Image: Malcolm Weale)

“Then we played Germany, which was a rather anxious game, inasmuch they had sent their full squad over and it was a great feeling of animosity between the two teams, which really doesn't exist in our age group.

“It's a great camaraderie in friendship between all the players, but there was just this competitiveness to win, and they had one player sent off and in that time we managed to score and win 4-1.

“So that put us through to the semi-finals.”

England brushed aside the Danes once more in the semi-finals, winning 4-2, and were set to face Wales in the final in front of a bumper home crowd of about 2,000 people.

Gallagher was the referee again, and the game could not have started much better for England, as they raced into a 3-0 lead at half time.

“In the second half the Wales team came back,” Prof Weale said.

“They scored the first goal, and then the second goal, and we became very nervous and we were chasing the ball and they were passing it very well.

“At the final whistle they had a shot and scored, and the score was 3-3. That took us into the penalty shootout.”

(Image: Newsquest)

The Three Lions didn’t have their usual penalty taker on the pitch, so it was up to those still on to convert their spot kicks.

Prof Weale was one of those chosen for the shootout, taking the often-pivotal fifth penalty.

After both sides had missed one of their opening four spot kicks, he stepped up and slotted home, with his Welsh counterpart also scoring to make it four penalties scored apiece.

But, after the sixth English taker converted, the Welsh taker missed, and England were crowned world champions.

“It was a very proud moment,” Prof Weale said.

“The players were very excited at the outcome and we thought we'd achieved something quite special.”