A UNIQUE football league that encourages players to put weight loss and their health first have been continuing to grow since they started last year.

The MAN v FAT club, based at Honeywell Sports Centre, opened a local club last year with matches being held every Tuesday.

Yet unlike a normal five-a-side club, goals aren’t the main deciders of success, with players getting weighed before heading onto the pitch and results from the matches getting combined with players’ weight loss throughout a week, contributing to an overall league table.

Coach Callum Tingle told the Chronicle: “I’ve been working with MAN v FAT for coming up to five years now.

“I coached at Doncaster before for just shy of four years, and then was told they’re looking to expand into Barnsley.

“They wanted an experienced coach to come in and help out with the launch.

“I really enjoyed being with a club that was starting from scratch, so I decided to take it on and grow it into a big success, which we’re in the middle of now.”

Over the past year, Callum has got 24 members to join the league, with 15 dedicated men having stayed from the very start.

Word of mouth is working in their favour, as more and more are showing interest in the unique approach to football, and Callum is doing his best to make their work enjoyable.

“We’re doing various activities on top of just weighing to decide scoring,” he added.

“During the Euros we did lots of different challenges, like a fakeaway competition.

“People had to make takeout-style meals at home and whichever I thought was the best were awarded an extra goal.

“But there’s a social aspect to it as well.

“We’ve got players building friendships with people they otherwise wouldn’t have and going out to meet separately.

“One lad came to us who was really self-conscious and shy, but now he comes every week and we’ve really seen him come out of his shell.

“Before this he would have never seen himself joining a five-a-side football team.”

The group has now been nominated at this year’s Proud of Barnsley as they continue to help develop men’s health and wellbeing.

“From the outside looking in, people can think that it’s just the same as any other football team.

“But when you get in we’re here to support our players’ health and wellbeing it’s not just a football league.”