Pounds begin to melt away for Doncaster heavyweights '“ who have lost an average of 23 pounds in weight

Footballers taking part in the tournament in Doncaster, which is designed to help men lose weight, have seen the pounds tumbling over the last few months.

The Doncaster MAN v FAT Football league kicked off at Rossington Community Sport Village, run by Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT), in September and its first ever members have been having huge successes in shedding the excess weight as they have competed.

The league adds incentives by giving teams bonus goals when their players hit their weight loss targets each week.

Tony Head, a member of the league, is proud of the steps he has taken in his weight loss so far and said: "The league has been brilliant for me and I'm already seeing visible benefits to my body shape after only a couple of months of playing.

"I look at pictures of myself and the difference between August and now is enormous. I'm really happy with it and it makes you want to keep pushing on. The fact that you can have a laugh and lots of fun while you're losing all this weight too makes it feel so easy.'

Some 95 percent of players who take part in the league lose weight in the process, while the average weight lost by a player is 23lbs (10kg).

Kraig Kelly, head of Leisure at DCLT, said: "The competitive spirit among the guys to top the league by winning  games and hitting their weight loss targets has really contributed to a positive atmosphere down at the Rossington Community Sport Village every Monday.'

Visit the www.manvfatfootball.org/doncaster website for more information.