The achievements of members of a Cumbrian weight-loss football league have been celebrated.
Man v Fat Carlisle club hosted its awards evening as the league celebrated the end of a successful season and recognised the outstanding achievements of its players on and off the pitch.
Man v Fat Carlisle is a weight-loss football league for men with a BMI of 27.5 or above, and provides a supportive and friendly environment for men to lose weight and improve their overall health and wellbeing.
The league – which combines football with a weight-loss programme that includes diet and exercise advice, weekly weigh-ins and support from fellow players – has seen dozens of players experiencing significant improvements in their physical and mental health, say organisers.
Players from all teams gathered to recognise and celebrate their individual and collective achievements. Awards were presented in categories including top scorer, goalkeeper of the season, players’ player of the season, amazing loser, top team and cup winners.
The Carlisle league’s head coach Beverley Young highlighted the importance of the league’s supportive community in achieving personal goals.
Beverley said: “It was undoubtedly our best ever awards evening and rounded off our best season ever. There were so many smiling faces on the night!
“I absolutely have loved watching the achievements and responses to the challenges of the last 18 months and hope we can continue to improve physical and mental health for the men in our city.
“Man v Fat Carlisle is the best club for men to lose weight, build fitness, make new friends and be part of a great community.”
The awards ceremony was a testament to the dedication and hard work of the players in the league.
Danny Etheridge, 32, was awarded the Golden Boot for scoring an impressive 40 goals in 14 games, while also receiving the Players’ Player of the Season award for his contributions.
Kev Brough was awarded the Goalkeeper of the Season award for his consistent remarkable performances for Piezer Chiefs Oranges, while Harry Watson and Shane Statter were joint winners of the Top Scorer Medal, awarded to the player who scores the most weight loss goals for the season.
Glenn Fraser received an Amazing Loser special commendation for losing over eight per cent of his body weight since the turn of the year.
In a competitive season, three different teams went home receiving top awards.
Bayern Munchies Blacks received Top Team medals for achieving the greatest weight loss. OB City Reds took home the Cup Winners Trophy after the four-week cup tournament, whilst Inter Mygob Whites were crowned league winners after achieving the greatest number of points overall in the league: accumulated on and off the pitch.
The league was set up in September 2021 and meets at Carlisle Campus Sports on Mondays from 7pm to 9pm. Over 100 men have joined up and between them, players at the Carlisle club have now lost 910 pounds in weight.
At the beginning of each match, players weigh themselves and present their food tracking for the week. Then comes a 30-minute game of five-a-side football, with teams receiving additional goal bonuses based on the weight loss of their players. The combined scores from the matches and the players’ weight loss contribute to the teams’ points tally and position in the league table.
To sign up or for more information, go to www.manvfatfootball.org/carlisle
