DOZENS of men are strapping on their shinpads and trainers in a bid to lose some weight.

The ManvFat scheme, which encourages men to lose weight by playing a weekly game of football, is now in its third week at Bridgwater College.

The free scheme, which is backed by Somerset County Council, was launched by Andrew Shanahan after he realised that there was not much help for men who wanted to lose some weight.

It is a free 14-week long programme, and involves teams playing once a week on a Monday night. However, it is not just on the pitch where it counts. Participants are also given free resources and a weight-loss chart to help them lose weight, with one-to-one sessions also available for extra advice.

As with all sporting competitions, there is a competitive side to it, and every player that loses weight in a week is awarded a "goal", which is added to the team's final score of that week, meaning that losing weight off the pitch matters as much as hitting the back of the net on it.

Mr Shanahan said: "We’ve already had a brilliant reaction to the idea and if you’re interested in playing then get in fast as places always go fast in every league we’ve run.

"I’d urge any guys who fancy winning their battle against fat to give it a try – the only thing they have to lose is weight."

The league is still looking for men to take part, with each team having spaces needing to be filled, and is calling for men from Bridgwater or the surrounding area to get in touch.

Mercury reporter Lee Irving is taking part in the initiative, and encouraged other men who want to lose some pounds to get involved.

He said: "I decided to give it a go after piling on the pounds in the past few months.

"There was a certain sense of trepidation on the first week, as I have never been to any weightloss group or scheme before, but I found everyone really helpful.

"They measure your weight and waistline every week, and also provide you with some top-tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle

"The matches are of a higher standard than I expected, and last for half an hour. The great thing about the scheme is that you actually "score a goal" for every team member who loses weight, meaning that even if you lose 5-0 in a game, you could still win 6-5 if six of the team have lost wieght in the previous week.

"I'd certainly recommend it, it's a great atmosphere and it really does help."

For more information on the scheme, and to sign up, visit manvfat.com