Sands United: The football team helps fathers deal with baby loss

Hull's Sands United FC was set up in 2019

A Hull football team made up of men who have lived with the loss of a baby say they are the side they hope no-one else has to join.

Sands United FC was set up in 2019 as an offshoot of a national charity offering support to people who have experienced miscarriage or baby death.

Club founder Craig Spivey said as well as offering support the team helped raise awareness of the issue.

"You never want to get more members, but sadly you do," he added.

According to the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS), every year in the UK more than 5,000 babies are stillborn or die within the first four weeks of life, while one in five pregnancies ends in a miscarriage.

The team has about 30 players and Mr Spivey said it gave members an outlet to speak freely and also talk about mental health.

"Men are very, very reluctant to share their thoughts and especially when it's negative," he added.

Carl Lee turned to the club after he and his partner Jodie suffered three miscarriages. He said the losses left him "struggling to get out of bed".

Carl and Jodie Lee have suffered three miscarriages.

"I kept a brave face on things because I needed Jodie to see me strong," he said.

"It does eat away at you and it's easy for a bloke to bottle it all up and then all of a sudden it's like getting hit by a bus. It just affects you one day. You wake up one morning and you just lose everything."

He said joining the team and being able to discuss his feelings with men who had gone through similar experiences felt like a "weight lifted off my shoulder".

Craig Spivey said the team also raises awareness of the issues around the loss of a baby

Mr Spivey said the team provided support for the men and their families and they often played against other Sands sides across the country.

Players have the name of their lost children written on their shirts across their hearts.

"It's a team that you never want to add on to," he added.