Inclusive Wythenshawe sports club celebrates five-year anniversary (2025)

"I never expected it to explode the way it has"

A Wythenshawe sports club founded during lockdown is celebrating its five anniversary this year, welcoming hundreds of participants every month.

35-year-old Joe Farrar was inspired to found the club Happy Somedays after he feared a knee injury and some lockdown weight gain would see him excluded from his local football teams.

Since then, the club has gone on to welcome thousands of participants every year from as far as Warrington and Congleton. They now have an established men's and women's team that anyone can join 'without fear of judgement or exclusion'.

"We always went down the route of inclusivity," Joe told the M.E.N. "I felt that I was left out because I put weight on - some people feel left out for other reasons, like race, sexuality, gender identity, or their social standing."

"We've had people that felt isolated and marginalized, but they've come to our sessions, made friends and felt like they've integrated back into day to day life."

"We had one guy that was struggling to get a job for a while. But a recruiter that comes to the sessions helped him do his CV, and he's got a job now."

"At times where there's quite a lot of division and conflict, it's quite nice to know that people of all different backgrounds can come together and support each other."

A newer addition to the club's schedule has been their weekly fitness sessions, led by one of the men's football players who happened to be a personal trainer.

"Everything we do is free," said Joe. "I'm Wythenshawe born-and-bred, and I know with the cost of living crisis, there's a lot of people cutting things out of their lives that they love.

"We're really keen to make sure that people don't have to make that decision with their fitness."

They do play other mixed ability and community teams, but there is no emphasis on winning and the team do not publish their scores on their website.

"It's about giving people experiences," says Joe. "Someone once said to me 'I never dreamt I'd play 11 a side football'. It really touched me.

"We've been able to play at proper grounds - that's bucket list stuff for some people.

"There's no pressure on players either. I think with sports, people feel like they've got to be there every week. We're not saying that - just come when you want. We know life takes over."

The club, named after the Happy Mondays, ("Music and football are like Manchester's heartbeat", says Joe) has been involved in a raft of community initiatives, including Manchester and Wythenshawe Pride, local litter picks (Wythenshawe Waste Warriors) and even Care for Calais.

"They were asking if anyone had any spare kit for the Refugee World Cup, as they didn't have any budget for it," said Joe. "The minute I mentioned it to our group, everyone volunteered."

"We ended up able to get them all a full kit. There's a real want to help and just make people's lives better - giving back to the community that has given so much to us."

"When we first started, I didn't know if we'd have the legs to go on for even one year. But to see where it is now and see the progression is something I'm really proud of."

The group will be marking their five year anniversary this weekend (March 22) with a charity walk around Manchester's footballing landmarks, from the Etihad to Old Trafford down to Altrincham FC, then back to Wythenshawe via Town and FC clubs.

Happy Somedays are soon to be turning into a charity themselves, to raise money for new equipment, but half of the proceeds from the walk will go to Mero's World Foundation.

And this year there will even be a Happy Somedays baby, as a couple that met at the sessions are now expecting a child.

"That puts it into perspective, all the good that's come from it," said Joe. "Something that started as a kickabout between me and five mates."

"A friend of mine was saying he would love to start his own club like ours - but he said it wouldn't work because it's not Manchester.

"That really stuck in my head that because I do think Mancunians have always kind of been warm and welcoming and inclusive. We'll fly that flag as long as we can."