Dave hoping to help Hull to new levels

Having supported MAN v FAT Scunthorpe to grow a vibrant and successful community, coach Dave Bell is now also leading the way with the nearby Hull club.

Dave has seen his Scunthorpe club grow in numbers and in community spirit, with the lads there picking up two awards at this year’s MAN v FAT Awards.

He’ll now be picking up the baton at Hull, helping the lads there to lose weight and grow an already strong community. We caught up with him to find out more.

How pleased are you to be taking on the Hull role and what have you made of the group in the time you’ve been involved so far?

Obviously I had no hesitation on taking on the Hull role. I’ve been a player for 10 years and a facilitator. So I’ve always been involved on the coaching staff side, and taking on the Hull role was a natural progression. 

The Hull lads are a cracking bunch – the mix of youngsters and the “slightly“ older players is a good one. It’s great seeing players in their 20s taking on a player in their 40s, 50s and even 60s. 

It’s brilliant to see players still playing and losing weight over the last 10 years , players returning after leaving and still new players joining. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming, there’s a genuine buzz at the venue on a Tuesday night.

What kind of support can the lads expect from you as a MAN v FAT coach? 

I hope the lads know I am always there for them, from the scales to the pitch. Sometimes, it’s the smallest adjustments that need pointing out. That’s why the food diary and tracking is so important, it’s not about filling it in just to get the extra points, it’s the blueprint of the journey with us. They can look back on what works and where some weeks it hasn’t.

It’s great when it clicks in a players head and they start ploughing through, 5%, 10% etc.

The Scunthorpe role was very easy to slide into, I’ve never known such a group of sociable players. Every week they seem to have something happening, charity football, days at the races, curry nights, Park runs, bike rides, charity balls, mental health walks – the list just goes on and on. 

Over the last few years, the lads have raised over £20k for various charities, and I think this has helped massively to build the community at MAN v FAT Scunthorpe.

How pleased were you for the Scunthorpe community to pick up two Awards in May? And how can the Hull lads aspire to achieve the same next year?

I was absolutely buzzing for my two ACs to collect the awards, and we had 4 nominations this year. Scunthorpe players have been nominated for the last few years now, so to actually bring home the silverware was amazing and the players absolutely deserved it.

They work so hard behind the scenes to make things happen, they really are unsung heroes. So to have their efforts recognised and rewarded is incredible, and they got to meet the legendary Sir Geoff Hurst! 

The awards next year, I am hoping to see some Hull lads get mentioned, apart from the Hull legend Carl Gareth winning the “Media Mogul“ every year, it was 2020 when Hull last won an award. 

Want to join Dave in action?

If you’re keen to join Dave at either Scunthorpe or Hull, you can head to their respective club homepages to get signed up!