Following the conclusion of an exhilarating eighth league season last week, Man v Fat Carlisle played host to the openers to its latest four-week cup on Monday.
The opening match was well-contested between Parmesan Belgrade Blacks and Fatburn Rovers, ending 4-2 on the pitch.
Once weight loss and tracking goals were added to the scores, it was the Blacks who earned the points with a 12-7 final score.
In the second game, league champions Fatarselona Oranges fought off competition from Scran United Reds to secure a 19-10 victory.
In the late kick off, defending cup holders Borussia Muncheneverything Whites started off their campaign well with a 15-6 result against Saint Eat-Again Greens.
Individual performances lit up the Harraby pitches once again this week, with some true standouts among a high-standard of overall play.
For the Blacks, Matt Potts was stellar in defence. His crucial interceptions were complemented with some dangerous forward runs, grabbing a couple of well-deserved goals.
Dale McDougall was the standout for Scran United. His non-stop work rate throughout the game, tireless pressing and encouragement for his team were all commendable aspects.
For the Oranges, Ben Snell was a constant threat, scoring twice and moving the ball precisely from the heart of the midfield.
In a week for goalkeepers, no less than three were credited with the Man of the Match award for their displays.
Standout for Fatburn Rovers was goalkeeper Shane Statter. He was credited with some amazing, athletic diving saves to keep the Blues in the game.
For the Whites, Shawn Berry continuously thwarted the Greens with fantastic agility and reactions, combined with composed distribution to set up some good attacks.
Last but certainly not least was Dennis Craik – nicknamed ‘Dennis the menace’ by the opposition captain – who made brilliant saves time and time again.
This week also saw brilliant weight loss achievements across the teams, led by Marcus Beattie, marking a hard-earned 3.4kg loss.
Three 5% body weight loss achievements were celebrated across the club this week too, with Victor Krall, Jonny Wattis and Jake Gildert reaching this impressive milestone.
The league’s head coach, Beverley Young, said: “Week 11 saw some high-energy football and the first time this season that all teams bar none posting a weight loss!
“This week, we’ve had nine hat-tricks goals scored for consistent weight loss too, and three players reaching their 5% weight loss milestones.
“Great to see our assistant coach Dennis Craik back in action with good weight loss and some ace goalkeeping.
“Also good to see Jamie Dunn back to his pre-injury weight – a loss of nearly 22kg since joining us! We waved a fond farewell to Karlos Williams in Blues, who has lost nearly 10kg and played some great football with the club; good luck with the new work!”
Man v Fat Carlisle is a weight-loss football league for overweight or obese 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, with over 1,400lb lost so far.
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 been a resounding success, with dozens of players from across Cumbria experiencing significant improvements in their physical and mental health.
The matches take place on every Monday evening at the Harraby 3G pitches on Edgehill Road.
For more action-packed photos and highlights, or to join the programme, visit www.manvfatfootball.org/carlisle or search Man v Fat Football Carlisle on Facebook.
Readers of this article can receive a special discount when signing up, by using code CUMBRIA when prompted on the Man v Fat website.
