How did a group chat, end up a football team?

So we had a great idea, let's run a football team. The idea got mentioned and everyone loved the IDEA. It was exactly as it sounds, just a crazy idea that we talked about for about 5 minutes, but soon enough we got to talking again. What about a charity team? Nobody wanted to play Sunday league and get a concussion every fortnight or struggle with fees and players week in week out; ect ect (you get the point). However a charity team, means we can play as and when we want, hopefully have players available every game and be able to push and fundraise for a great cause!

The only problem was... WHAT CHARITY TO CHOOSE? Well, after about 10 minutes in a group chat, it was settled. What's 1 charity that's helped or is currently helping multiple people in the group/team? That's growing massively and isn't the charity that literally everyone decides to fundraise for?

ANDYS MAN CLUB.

The hardest task was then to get up and running, we needed a kit and more importantly, opponents.

Finding a game wasn't too difficult as there are plenty of charity/casual teams to play against who aren't all about winning. So when one of the lads mentioned Fit4U we decided to get in touch and before you knew it, boom, first game pencilled in. We still didn't even know how many players we had though; who needs players for a game of 'footy' anyways!

Everyone knows somebody who's managed a team or been involved in one, that has about 7 kits bagged up in the loft. Luckily, so did we ;). Before we knew it, opponents were booked in, kits at the ready and a full squad available for our very first game!

This game really was just a group of lads chucked in at the deep end! We had good spells and bad, but I'll leave the story telling to the post match write up! But there we were, game played and feeling great, so naturally we kept pushing on social media, trying to grow a following and raise as much money as we could for an amazing charity.

Soon enough, we found a kit sponsor! Welllll... kind of. We only went and won a competition through Lyle and Scott to win a full kit for the team (still awaiting arrival). So now we looked to getting some jackets! Ya know, need to look professional and all that jazz. And soon enough one lad stepped forward and bought all the lads jackets! Not only did he buy the jackets; he did it in memory of his uncle who recently passed away. After suffering with his mental health, it only seemed right to attach his name to a mental health project and keep his memory alive!

All of this has come not just from one person who wanted his own team. It's come from a family of 'mates' who banded together to produce a terrific team. And now they all have input, help run the team, help run social media and more importantly, help each other in times of need! The only thing to really say is wow... WHAT A TEAM!

B @supportingAMCR

#itsokaytotalk #andysmanclub