The CSOFA National League

Aberdeen v Dunfermline Athletic

Sunday 9th March

2:45pm kick-off

Balmoral Stadium

Entry: Free

 

Anyone on Sunday looking for a game of football to watch, the Aberdeen Legends FC would appreciate your support when they take on Dunfermline in what is pretty much a league decider.

Aberdeen have been playing against other like minded Football Fans In Training teams up and down the country and are in with a chance of winning the title.

Entry to the Balmoral Stadium is free.

To learn more about the team, the following article featured in the Red Matchday Magazine recently:

The Aberdeen Legends Football Club were created through a group of Aberdeen fans who signed up for the hugely successful Football Fans in Training scheme offered by the AFC Community Trust.

Over the last ten years, thousands of football fans have benefitted from Europe’s leading healthy lifestyle programme, powered by football clubs in a number of different countries. Football Fans in Training is a free 13-week programme that can help you to improve both your physical health and mental wellbeing.

FFIT provides Aberdeen fans with an opportunity to come into Pittodrie every Monday night and become fitter, healthier, and happier at the same time.

However, former participants of the programme have themselves started their own initiative as Bill Downie explained.

“A bunch of lads between 35 and 60, all shapes and sizes, different levels of fitness and ability, looking to re-live our youth initially, received a chance that some may thought had gone, or never had, young or old. A chance to play football, supporting each other, losing weight, motivating others and ourselves, gaining confidence, swapping stories, bonding and meeting with like-minded new found friends.

“Football Fans in training gave us this opportunity and we have taken it a stage further.

“I first got involved after the third course, and joined the Walking Football Programme at the Beach Leisure Centre, which gave me a chance to play football again. The walking football was enjoyable but to play 11-a-side again at my age was a very tempting!

“The late Rob Alexander invited me along to football at the Sports Village. I must mention Rob as he was the one who did so much to get the team started and everyone was devastated when he passed away about a year ago. We are determined to carry the team on in his memory.

“FFIT created groups from other Scottish and English teams, be it 7 or 11 a side games, playing at least once a month. We are now involved with the FFIT Scotland Group including the likes of Livingston, Falkirk, Raith Rovers, Coldstream, East Fife, Falkirk, Dunfermline Athletic and Celtic. This allows us to play other teams throughout the country home and away as part of a league and also attend a number of tournaments each season.

“What a feeling it is to run about with like-minded people and improve our fitness by playing the game we love. I made my debut away versus Dunfermline and really enjoyed the experience. The Legends have played in some great games over the years.

“The Legends kept going through Covid, playing outdoors at Goals and the Nelson Street Pitches. This was more than a kick about. When mental health issues were at a peak during the pandemic, the group provided us with something to look forward each week and a chance to talk.

“In the past there was an influx of participants coming to our Monday night training sessions whilst participating in the current FFIT programme or completing it, which has seen us grow from playing five-a-sides on the Pittodrie Street car park, to 7-a-side at Strikers, to our current home of the Aberdeen Sports Village. Playing full sides games at ASV allows us to gain positional knowledge, fitness, work on passing ranges, confidence and allows us to prepare the team for the games we play on the Sunday.

“The criteria is for people aged over 35, with a waistline of >38” and/or BMI >30.

“We also host other social events and activities that we organise and take part in, non football related such as The Kiltwalk and golf outings.

“We are a group with a constitution, a committee and a commitment to be self financing, self-supporting group created from two things: Our love of our great club and secondly, to be healthier in body and mind.

“Our values are integrity, trust, respect, teamwork, but most of all, fun.”

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Aberdeen Legends, please contact aberdeenffitlengends2012@gmail.com