The first Sheffield & Hallamshire CFA team of the month for the 2019/20 season is Sands United (Doncaster).

The club was recently established earlier this year in February (2019) by John Drury, with the intentions to set up for the 2020/21 campaign however after a lot of early interest from individuals wanting to join the club, they are currently playing this season in the Doncaster & District Sunday Alliance League Championship.

The Sands United (Doncaster) club was established by John in partnership with the Sands Charity (Stillbirth & neonatal death charity) to support individuals throughout the county that have been affected by the cause and to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

There are already multiple Sands United clubs throughout the country, and more are establishing every year.

Find out more about the charity and other clubs through the Sands website.

After contacting John to announce the great news that they had been recognised as the Team of the Month he stated “Oh wow, the lads will be chuffed! Perfectly timed boost for morale after a tough start to the season that's for sure.”

The clubs now have a core of 26 players and are adding more every month, with a great range of players from 21-44 years old, traveling from all over the county.

John has worked on the club’s social media and has also been involved with promotion for the club and the cause through newspapers, with Sands United also being covered on TalkSport.

Aspirations for the club moving forward are to get there first win in the league after some difficult results from the first few fixtures, however the team continue to have a full 16 player squad every week! As well as the on-field side the club also wish to continue the great promotional work and fundraising for the charity.

The club has developed some great fundraising events and work, with opposing clubs also showing support through paying for the officials on match days and a charity game raising £1500 earlier in the year!

To get involved or learn more about the club please contact John Drury JD_Drury@live.co.uk

As part of the club each player has a unique name (Angel) or message on their kit to commemorate their babies' all too brief lives.

To Donate please see the Sands Website.

Again, well done to John and all at Sands United (Doncaster) for being named Team of the Month and the continuous great work their doing on and off the pitch!

Miscarriage? Stillbirth? Neonatal Death?

If any of the above have sadly affected you and your family in anyway, you could be the Dad? Grandad? Brother? Uncle? Cousin? Or even a close friend of someone who has been through the unimaginable then maybe we are the team for you?

We are always looking to reach out to men who have suffered from all forms of baby loss and give them a safe place to open up, talk to other men who have been through the same tragic life event and create their children a lasting legacy. Whether you lost your child before you knew of their sex, or your child sadly past shortly before/after birth - Every pregnancy/child matters. We want to improve our support network both on and off the field.

We dont discriminate on age as our current age range is 21-44 with an average age of almost 32. We dont discriminate on ability, as we have players who have played at a good standard in the past but also players who had never kicked a ball before joining us. The team doesnt just help the men, our partners on the sidelines have reaped the rewards of been around women who have also shared the heartbreak.

So if we sound like something you want to become apart of please get in touch. Whether you can turn up every week/once a month you're more than welcome to join us.

Together let's break the silence on the 'taboo' subject that is baby loss, and improve mens mental health on the whole.