2023-09-01 06:38:46
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The ‘Ayr Eagles’ took home the League Cup on the last day of the season
Article informationAuthor, Megan BoranRole, BBC Scotland
12 minutes ago
There is something very different about the men in the Scottish Warriors Premier League. Every player is overweight.
In fact, this is a condition for participation, and they must have a waist circumference (96 cm) of at least or a body mass index of more than 30, which would make them obese.
The final match of the season last weekend saw the Air Eagles take on Corstorven Dynamos Goliath for the league title.
But for the 500 men involved in the league, which includes teams like Monster Munchen and Alloa Unathletic, the trophy isn’t the only reward.
League founder and chairman Gary Thorne told BBC Scotland the league helps players lose weight and improve their mental health. “We know for a fact that this really saves people’s lives,” he said. “We have people in our squad who have told us openly that they wouldn’t be here without football.”
He added, “Men are getting fitter, men are getting happier, they’re making new friendships, new relationships and new experiences.”
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Gary Thorne founded the league after being unable to find competitors for his team
“My club, the Denny Warriors, started three years ago with the main objective of getting men out of their inner circle, meeting new people and improving their physical and mental health,” he added.
But when they wanted to start competing, they found it difficult to find competitors who played on a similar level.
“We didn’t want the players to get frustrated,” he said, and hence the “Warriors Premier League” was born.
The League Cup contenders at Townhead Park in Cumnock on Sunday were level on points, with the Eagles slightly ahead on goal difference.
Stuart Chalmers is the captain and central defender for the Air Eagles. His amateur football career was hampered by two bad knee injuries which, combined with a desk job, took a toll on his physical fitness and mental health.
“I grew up playing football and always being part of the team, I missed that environment, so the opportunity to get back on the field, to be back with a good group of players again, to be back playing football again was great,” he said.
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Stuart Chalmers says the league has allowed him to return to playing sports
Stewart said that for men like him, there is often a lack of opportunities to get back into sports. “This was an opportunity to get back on the soccer field and play competitive soccer again,” Stewart said.
He says, “Your self-confidence, confidence in your body’s ability to perform, run and keep fit declines, and this hinders you a lot.”
“It’s the only league in Scotland where you need a pair of scales,” Stewart joked.
He said there were occasions during the year that pre-game weigh-ins were taken if the team looked “too thin”.
But players are not penalized for losing weight. Teams are also allowed to field four players with a smaller BMI, as long as they are over 30.
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Craig Leach made many new friends through the team
Craig Leach, midfielder of the Corstorven Dynamo Goliath team, said that the league helped him regain the confidence he lost during the Corona epidemic.
He said, “After the spread of the Corona epidemic, I was finding it difficult to reintegrate again into the normal society, and trying to return to the way I was before, it was very difficult to go to the first trainings.”
“I thought about wanting to play football again, so I was looking forward to teams in the Edinburgh area and when I saw that they were for heavier guys, I felt it suited me.”
“The support network has been fantastic, I’ve only known them for a year, but I made my best friends through this team,” he says. “It will mean a lot to us if we can win the title.”
On that day, it wasn’t for Craig’s side, as the Air Eagles won the game 3-1.
Next year, the Warriors Premier League is set to introduce the Championship League, which will welcome around 10 new teams.
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