Paul Carr, who represents Elmham and Mattishall on Norfolk County Council, is the unlikely central figure in a dispute which has seen England barred from taking part in this year's European Championships.

FIFA's president Gianni Infantino has been fighting off increasing pressure of late (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA)

Mr Carr, from North Elmham, is both chief executive of the Walking Football Association (WFA) - which runs the sport in England - and president of the Federation of International Walking Football Associations (FIWFA), the global body which runs the Euros.

In his role at the WFA, he has been critical of attempts to forge closer links between the organisation and the Football Association (FA) to further promote walking football - a slower, no-running, no-contact version of the game.

But colleagues at the WFA continued to push for a merger with the FA, prompting Mr Carr - as president of FIWFA - to suspend the WFA from the international association.

This move means England are banned from the European Championships, held in Spain in November, at which the men's over 50s, over 60s and over 70s teams, as well as women's over 40s, over 50s and over 60s had been due to compete.

England are currently the dominant global force in walking football.

At the last World Cup, also in Spain and held last year, the men's teams enjoyed a clean sweep, winning in the over 50s, 60s and 70s age groups, while the women over 40s also........

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