Swansea amateur football coach and healthy lifestyle mentor wins national campaign award

Ben Gleeson, who coaches MAN v FAT Football Swansea is one of over 200 coaches at 160 clubs involved in the UK-wide programme, in which 8,500 players take part each week.

Aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5, the total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at more than 535,000 pounds.

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. Players receive additional support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness. 

After winning the Coach of The Year Award sponsored by Football365, Ben said: “Being the coach of MAN v FAT Football Swansea has been an absolute pleasure. Outside of getting married to my amazing wife and the birth of our two wonderful daughters, what has happened with our Swansea brotherhood has been the proudest achievement of my life.

“Being at the MAN v FAT National Awards with the whole Welsh region as a collective, cheering every single one of our members on like the warriors they are, was such a special experience. 

“They are all heroes and I couldn’t be prouder of them. To win the award for Coach of The Year, side by side with my wife, was just the cherry on top of the cake.

“We went from a small bunch of strangers, who took a chance on a concept the city had never heard of and created one of the largest family of brothers in the UK.

“We have lost over two tonnes of weight collectively, and in doing so have changed so many lives and transformed men’s mental health in the community.”

Earlier this year, Ben led the Swansea club to glory by winning the programme’s national championships in a tournament that featured 40 MAN v FAT sides from across the UK.

Ben continues, “So many people involved with MAN v FAT have been there for me along the way, like James ‘Stan’ Stanford who taught me so much of what I know about coaching. David ‘Quinny’ Quinn and Alex Williams have offered constant support as two of my closest friends and superb coaches in their own right. 

“Hywel Pugh, an absolute legend from player to Assistant Coach, to the new Head Coach of MAN v FAT Swansea. One of my closest confidants, the man who I always looked to for reassurance and the born leader who has now taken the reigns. He’ll never know just how proud I am of him, and how thankful I am to him. He’s the best friend a bloke could ask for.”

The Coach of The Year category at the awards recognised they men and women who make MAN v FAT clubs happen, week in, week out. 

MAN v FAT coaches provide their players with support and guidance on and off the pitch, supporting weight loss goals and putting in the hard yards to make sure weekly sessions run as smoothly as possible. 

Lead image: Ben collecting his award from comedian Tom Davis