Doncaster fat-fighting footballers complete 25 mile walk between stadia to raise £1,200

The six players set out to walk 25 miles from Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United, to Hillsborough, home of Sheffield Wednesday, on to Rotherham United’s New York Stadium before finishing at Keepmoat, the home of Doncaster Rovers.

Three of the six - Callum Tingle, coach at MAN v FAT Doncaster; Chris Cunningham, player facilitator and Rick Harrison, who plays at MAN v FAT Doncaster completed the whole journey, with fellow walkers and MAN v FAT players Paul Baker, Gary Burn and Gary Heath unfortunately having to stop early due to injury, though they each completed 17.5 miles, 19.5 miles and 15.5 miles each respectively.

The money raised will be split with 70 per cent going to the Sheffield Flourish League and the balance supporting players at MAN v FAT Doncaster with other activities as a group away from the football pitch.

“That moment when we completed the walk the sense of relief and satisfaction was amazing,” says Callum.

“The last few miles were so painful, but we knew we couldn’t give up. The last few miles seemed to never end, but now, when looking back at the distance covered, it feels amazing. It was a true test of effort and determination, and I would certainly do it again!”

MAN v FAT currently has more than 8000 players taking part in nearly 160 leagues across the UK.

The programme was created by Andrew Shanahan, who, fed-up with traditional weight loss classes primarily aimed at women, decided to develop a programme that combines the beautiful game with achievable weight loss goals for men.

The total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at more than 543,000 pounds.

It is aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5. Before matches, the players are weighed, which is followed by a 30-minute game of six-a-side, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on the amount of weight players have lost.

Players receive additional support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.

The Doncaster MAN v FAT club meets on Monday evenings at the Rossington Community Sports Village, Bond Street, Rossington. There are also clubs in Sheffield and Rotherham. More information can be found at www.manvfatfootball.org .

Formed by local mental health charity Sheffield Flourish, the Sheffield Flourish League represents an inclusive football opportunity for clubs who can evidence an inclusive approach to people from marginalised groups.

Teams play 11v11 football in a completely flexible format, with team’s allocated 1 fixture a month throughout the season.

Clubs already involved in the league demonstrate an inclusive approach by creating active partnerships with some of the following services: NHS foundation trusts, mental health charities, homeless charities, refugee & asylum seekers, drugs & alcohol.

Games can take place at any time during the month with teams left to arrange their own fixture.