Man v Fat Football Carlisle held the final round of its cup group stage on Monday and after this week’s results, the cup finalists have been confirmed.
In a league where results on the pitch are only half the story, and weight-loss bonus goals can make all the difference, there were some interesting scores this week.
The opening match this week saw the new league champions Fatarselona Oranges take on last season’s cup winners, Borussia Muncheverything Whites.
A remarkable off-the-pitch effort saw Oranges run away with a 16-2 victory.
Up next, Saint Eat-Again Greens backed up a strong on-pitch performance against Fatburn Rovers Blues with an additional 10 goals off the pitch. The final score ended 14-4 to the Greens.
In the final game, Parmesan Belgrade Blacks fought off strong competition from Scran United Reds with a 10-5 scoreline.
This week’s results mean that it is Fatarselona Oranges and Parmesan Belgrade Blacks who progress to the cup final. With the teams amassing an impressive goal difference of 26 and 16 in the four games, respectively, it is set to be a firecracker of a fixture.
Individual performances were once again a highlight of the week under the Harraby floodlights.
For the Blacks, Marcus Beattie was solid all over the park, bossing the midfield and dancing through challenges.
On his return to the club after injury, Blues’ Daniel Jackson showed tremendous work-rate throughout and capped off his performance with a fantastic solo goal.
Mike Cameron was the Greens’ Man of the Match. Described as an “absolute workhorse” and reminiscent of a young Paulo Maldini by the opposition captain, he performed well in defence and attack.
For the Reds, Marco Berti was the standout, with some great passes and dictating play when he was on the pitch.
A man of the match performance from Ben Snell took his Oranges side to the cup final. He was commended for his “relentless attacking” and commanding his team through the whole game.
For the Whites, Victor Krall worked exceptionally hard all game, up and down the pitch, constantly getting stuck in and winning the ball back for his team.
This week also saw brilliant weight loss achievements across the teams, led by Gareth Hewgill, who celebrated a remarkable milestone of losing 10% of his bodyweight since signing up. Andy Reynolds was another top performer, achieving his 5% certificate after just five weeks.
The league’s head coach, Beverley Young, said: “Week 13 saw some competitive games as teams battled it out on the pitch for places in the cup final. Well done to Oranges and Blacks who will be head-to-head in next week’s 8pm cup final game!”
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 1,500lb 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.
