Man v Fat Carlisle, a football league that combines the beautiful game with a commitment to health and weight loss, kicked off its first fixtures of season nine.
The season introduced a fresh dynamic with a complete league draft that reshuffled the teams, sparking new allegiances and rivalries.
The teams, now sporting their vibrant new colours, are as follows: Chipswich Town (Blues), Northern Pieland (Greens), Toast D’Ivoire (Oranges), Orlando Pierates (Blacks), Meal Madrid (Whites) and Flaberdeen (Reds).
Under the floodlights, the week’s fixtures were a spectacle of sporting skill intertwined with remarkable personal health victories.
The opening fixtures were tantalisingly close. Chipswich Town and Northern Pieland battled to an 8-8 draw.
Toast D’Ivoire edged out Meal Madrid with a 7-6 victory in a closely fought contest. Orlando Pierates demonstrated their offensive power in an 11-6 win over Flaberdeen.
The Man of the Match awards highlighted individual brilliance across the board, with players like Ben Snell for his all-around play and a spectacular goal, Liam McMullen for his relentless energy on the pitch, Shane Statter for his exceptional goalkeeping, Steve Wright for his goal-scoring prowess, Ash Clarkson for his dynamic movement and scoring ability, and Jake Gildert for his confident playmaking.
Adding a unique aspect to the competition, the league also celebrated the weight loss achievements of its players.
Top losers of the week included Mal Brown and Sam Philpott of the Blues, Mark Braithwaite and Matt Potts of the Oranges, Dan McAulay of the Whites and Jonny Wattis of the Blacks, contributing to an impressive collective weight loss of over 30kg in just one week.
Coach Beverley Young reflected on the week’s events with enthusiasm. She said: “What a fantastic start to season nine with all teams losing weight, giving an amazing weekly loss of over 30kg!
“Great tracking effort with over 90% of players tracking their food and activity. Some sterling effort on the pitch as the new teams get to know their new teammates and battle it out to score goals on the pitch.”
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 1,600lb 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 almost 200 players from across Cumbria experiencing improvements in their physical and mental health.
The matches take place on every Monday evening at the Harraby 3G pitches on Edgehill Road in Carlisle. The initiative is for all abilities, and there’s no age limit. Players can go completely at their own pace, regardless of their fitness levels.
For more information, 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.
