Quitters get pro-training at Portman Road

Ipswich Town Football Club teamed up with Suffolk Stop Smoking Service to help its supporters stop smoking. As well as advice about the best ways to quit, Ipswich also gives tours of the ground and training sessions with a professional coach.

When supporters join the group, they get personalised support, tailored to their own needs. After setting a quit date with fellow members of the group, supporters come back each week to discuss how they’re finding life after quitting.

Tony Marshall attended his first session after family and friends persuaded him to go along. He was smoking about 40 cigarettes a week but began to dislike his own habit and after taking part in the Ipswich FC & Suffolk service weekly support group, he’s been off the cigarettes for 6 months.

Tony explained that "the group is useful because you’ve got people down there who you can relate to. You could also have a good chat and a laugh with people, which I think is really important and makes you want to go back"

Training at Leicester City FC

On signing for Smokefree United, Mitchell Topham and Garry Cooper found themselves on the training ground of Leicester City Football Club with players Matty Fryatt and Bruno Berner.

After a day on the pitch with the guys, Mitch explained, "My fitness levels were tested this afternoon, so it’ll be really good to see how much they improve as a result of stopping smoking. I tried to quit once before, but on my own it just didn't work. I feel really confident that being part of Smokefree United will give me the encouragement I need to quit."

Garry, a father of two, had been a smoker for 23 years so wasn’t expecting quitting to be easy, but is determined to so he can run around with his kids for longer. The support he’s found through Smokefree United is helping him to keep to his goal.

Mitchell Topham, of Knighton Fields said: “Today has been great; I got the chance to run around the training ground at Leicester City and meet two of my favourite players!

"My fitness levels were tested this afternoon, so it will be really good to see how much they improve as a result of stopping smoking."

Leicester City defender, Bruno, was really pleased to be supporting Smokefree United as well as all the fans out there trying to quit. As Bruno said "we want our fans to feel the improvements in their day to day lives, whether running for a bus, keeping up with the kids, or cheering on the Foxes, we want our fans to feel good from stopping smoking."

Smokefree United Penalty Challenge against Millwall

Millwall recently took part in a penalty shoot-out against some fans and local Lewisham NHS stop smoking advisers to determine the winner of the Smokefree United Challenge.

Players had their skills tested at the training ground in Bromley as they attempted to kick a football through a small opening in a six-foot high by eight-foot wide Smokefree United goal board. The challengers were each given just three minutes to score as many penalties as possible in the time.

Millwall FC fan, David Selwood, won the Smokefree United competition to play against his team. David lost both of his parents to cancer and was inspired to quit smoking because of it. Millwall FC player Neil Harris was his idol because he managed to overcome his own cancer.

David said "being selected to take part in the Smokefree United Challenge with the Millwall players was a dream come true. It was great to have a kick about with the team. Neil Harris was the player who gave me the inspiration to stop smoking and get into fitness and football. I now play football every week with Brenchley Football Club and my life is so much better."