The club aiming to 'make football fun again'

The first All About Football session in Rotherham was hosted at Parkgate Astro

A former lawyer determined to "make football fun again" has launched a community club aimed at players who find formal leagues too competitive or intimidating.

Joe Evans originally opened the All About Football club in Burton Upon Trent in 2022, after he felt "too old and unfit" to join a local team.

Having moved to South Yorkshire, he has teamed up with Rotherham United Community Trust to set up another group at Parkgate Astroturf, where everyone is welcome regardless of their ability.

Millers fan Joe said: "When you're a kid football is fun then you join a team, you get coached, you get shouted at and it becomes a chore."

The 37-year-old said the inspiration for starting the project came when he moved to Staffordshire three years ago.

"I was determined to find somewhere to play," he said.

"But everywhere I looked, the options seemed impossible.

"I either had to know loads of people to form a team or be good enough to join an existing one.

"I didn't tick either box, so once again I found myself on the sidelines.

"Honestly, it felt pretty rubbish and over time it really affected my physical and mental health.

"Over the years, I tried joining teams but I wasn't fit enough or good enough to keep up, and eventually, I stopped trying."

After taking matters into his own hands and initially organising his own causal kick-about in 2022, All About Football has grown considerably over the last three years with more than 200 members signed up to sessions in Burton, Derby and Uttoxeter.

Joe said he was "always determined" to start sessions in his home town.

The new 4G facilities for the Rotherham sessions are managed by the Rotherham United Community Trust.

Programme manager Johnny Allen said getting involved was a "no brainer".

"We want everyone in Rotherham to be healthy and successful and unite the community," he said.

"I think you get to a certain age and have other priorities.

"You don't want time off work when someone's put a horrible two-footed tackle on you on a Monday night."

Ashley Meakin from Rotherham said he had not set foot on a football pitch for 10 years

More than 20 players signed up for the first hour-long session in Rotherham.

Many said they had felt "uncomfortable" in other competitive leagues.

Ashley Meakin admitted he had not stepped onto any sort of football pitch for 10 years.

"I did training as a kid and I loved it, but my head and feet had two different ideas," he said.

"I was never good enough to get into a team so there didn't seem many options but this is perfect for me."

Dan Fox praised the atmosphere at the All About Football session

Dan Fox has a young son who plays football, but thought his "playing days were over".

"It was a really good atmosphere, none of us had played together before so to have 20 lads with a range of abilities playing together was fantastic," Dan said.

Joe now has ambitious plans to expand the network into other areas of North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, before setting his sights on Maltby and Chesterfield.

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