A LOCAL football club which was set up as part of a programme to help overweight and obese men lose weight has been named the best in the UK.

Players in the Newport MAN v FAT club, which started in November 2020, have lost a combined total of 850.9kg or 134 stones in weight and was subsequently given the ‘Club of the Year’ status at the annual MAN v FAT awards this weekend.

Commenting on Newport’s achievement, MAN v FAT Regional Manager Stuart Normansell, said: “Newport is and no doubt will remain one of our flagship clubs in the South West region and that is down to the culture and community aspect they have developed.

“The guys have created something special at Newport that inspires other clubs to follow their lead and support each other every week. Aided by two amazing facility managers, who completely buy into what MAN v FAT Football is all about, the club had some incredible weight loss figures in its first season and are the current National champions and first ever Welsh champions. That’s some 2021.”

The Newport club currently meets on Friday evenings at Gol Football Centre on Nash Road.

MAN v FAT is an FA-affiliated scheme that currently has more than 7,000 players taking part in over 100 clubs across the UK.

Before matches, 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. Weight loss and match scores then contribute to teams’ league positions within a club. Players receive additional support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.