New Foundation initiative sees losers win big!

Port Vale Foundation have been helping losers win big with their men’s health and weight management programme resulting in 80 locals combining to lose over 40 stone in weight in just 14 weeks!

In partnership with Man V Fat Football, the Foundation have delivered a football league for gents who want to lose weight and make big changes to their lifestyle. The Man V Fat programme is a national based initiative, backed by the FA and Sport England that harnesses the power of football and bravado of a group of men playing the game they love together to challenge their perception of health and food and turn it into a positive of losing weight and in many cases saving their lives.

The League in its 4th season in Stoke on Trent, and first under the stewardship of Port Vale Foundation, has gone from strength to strength and has seen some unbelievable results on the scales and fantastic physical transformations.

Man v Fat uses it’s unique model to complement the competitive element of football with the race to lose weight each week, with a scoring system that not only includes goals on the pitch but goals for losing weight every time they step on the scales.

This means even if the team loses on the pitch they can earn results for getting weight hat tricks (losses 3 weeks in a row), hitting 5% and 10% targets.

Each team, compromising of a maximum of 10 players, takes part in a 6 v 6 competitive fixtures for 30 minutes against one of seven other teams in a league format featuring the likes of LA Galaxy Choc, Bayern Munchies and Juvenguts, all fighting it out for the converted Man V Fat League title and bragging rights. Likewise there are individual awards up for grabs such as the biggest loser award most consistent loser. 

“It’s been an absolute pleasure supporting the journey all of the players have gone on this season” said the Foundation’s Development Manager, Kev Sanders.

“We’ve seen some epic body and transformations as well as an overall health and lifestyle change many of the gents have started that will be a lifelong modification. But more importantly the teams have created an unbelievably positive environment in which they are all pushing each other to do well on and off the pitch. It’s a real community trying to support each other to create an even healthier version of themselves.”

The League runs in continuous 14 week blocks and the new season is right around the corner! The league runs every Friday night at Oriminston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy in Blurton and has some limited spaces left for any adult gentleman with a BMI of over 27 who wants to make a positive change in their lives while playing football. If you are interested, visit www.manvfatfootball.org/stoke or call the Port Vale Foundation on 01782 757066.