Mirfield's 'Battling Fat Lads' take on FA tournament in aid of good cause

A team of Mirfield middle-agers took on the FA People's Cup this weekend to raise money for a disease that threatened their goalkeeper.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Feb 2018, 07:57 BST
Updated 27th Feb 2018, 09:05 BST
The Battling Fat Lads: Dean Robinson, Matt Grist, Steve King, Mike Sullivan, Phil Russell, Sam Hill.The Battling Fat Lads: Dean Robinson, Matt Grist, Steve King, Mike Sullivan, Phil Russell, Sam Hill.
The Battling Fat Lads: Dean Robinson, Matt Grist, Steve King, Mike Sullivan, Phil Russell, Sam Hill.

The 'Battling Fat Lads' raise money every year for Oddballs, a testicular cancer charity with ties to grassroots sport, after goalie Mike Sullivan was diagnosed a few years ago.

Having raised £540 last year, the heroic team of self-proclaimed 'overweight, middle-aged dads' have upped their game with £1,170 taken so far, with more expected.

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One of the players, Phil Russell, said: "We used to play in a Thursday night league and know each other from the school playground where our kids go, really.

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The team in action.The team in action.
The team in action.

"We've done the charity thing for a few years and always donated to Sport Relief, but when Mike was diagnosed we went to Oddballs and asked if we could do it for them."

The FA People's Cup was played at Leeds' Goals outdoor football centre and in their eleventh year of competing, The Battling Fat Lads secured their own little piece of history.

"We won our first People's Cup game this year, in eleven years of trying," Phil said, "Although I must admit we had a couple of ringers in this year, a couple of younger lads."

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