To join a football team, it's typically required for you to be physically fit with a slender physique. But one unique squad in England targets overweight players only.
MAN v FAT Football (MvF) is aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, and combines weekly sessions with coaching off-pitch, to help players shed unwanted pounds.
Charlie Hill, 24, discovered the programme through a "fellow fat friend" last year and has gone from 22st to 15st in just 10 months by being part of the Lincoln team.
Speaking this Men's Health Week, Charlie told the Mirror : "It's changed my entire life. I didn't really have friends round here before and now I'm part of a big community. The support is amazing."
Charlie, who works in admin, battled with his weight for years and found himself unable to do everyday tasks when he peaked over 20st.
"I had aches in my knees and I wasn't physically capable of doing things. I was around 22st for a year and built up to that weight for a long time," he said.
"Ever since I left school and stopped doing sports, I've been piling it on. I wasn't watching what I was eating sat at my desk."
Charlie would often skip breakfast and have two meal deals for lunch, then snack on a share bag of chocolate in the afternoon.
"I ate whatever I wanted. I would struggle to take my dog on a walk and felt so heavy," Charlie explained.
"I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma a while ago and my doctor told me to lose weight to improve my general fitness."
Then in June last year, the 24-year-old was introduced to MvF through a pal, and his lifestyle took a dramatic turn.
"He recommended it to me as a fellow fat lad to help lose some weight," Charlie said. "To summarise, you score points off the pitch as well as during the match.
"Bonus points include: losing weight, hitting a percentage weight loss goal or keeping a food diary."
Charlie keeps track of his diet using a fitness app, and shows it to his coach when he weighs in on Wednesdays.
"It helps me to keep track of what I'm eating and gives me peace of mind. I'm surprised by how few calories are actually in things like pizza," he said.
"I used to eat a lot of homecooked meals, like curries and stews, so that hasn't changed. But my portions have got a lot smaller.
"Now, I'll just have one meal deal for lunch and a pack of sandwich meat instead of chocolate, for a protein boost.
"Instead of having a large portion of chips, I'll have extra meat or more vegetables to fill myself up.
"I still have cheat days. If you try to be perfect every day, you're destined to fail."
Since joining his local team, Charlie has taken up extra training on Friday nights and a friendly match on Sundays.
"I play five or six hours of football a week and walk to work every day. In the first week, I lost 13lbs. Since, it's around 2lbs a week," he said.
Charlie is happy with his current weight, but may try to lose another stone and a half to help his teammates win the league.
"It pushes you to keep losing weight even when you've got complacent. There's a responsibility to your team," he said.
"But when you reach your healthy BMI, you'll score points for remaining where you are."
Charlie, who isn't originally from Lincoln, didn't have many friends in the area when he moved there five years ago.
"It's not just the weight loss but the community. Coming to see people and play with or against them. We have a group chat too," he said.
"People really get along and talk to each other outside of the game. I'd 100 percent recommend it without hesitation.
"People of all shapes, sizes and varying footballing ability can get involved. It's a team effort and everyone is welcome."
Charlie paid approximately £10 to sign up and has since paid £31 a month for the football games, coaches, online classes and diet tips.
"The community around MvF and the general positive attitude towards weight loss is incredible. Everyone supports each other," he said.
"I have something to look forward to every week now and can't imagine my life without it."
MAN v FAT currently has 8,500 players taking part in 160 clubs in towns and cities across the UK. The total amount of weight lost at MvF currently stands at 545,000lbs.
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.
Do you have a men's health story to share? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
