A community team plans to host more sessions following a successful first-year

The popular football night at Ocean Park Arena puts an emphasis on helping men with their mental health and staying positive

A group of football players stood on a pitch facing away from the camera.
The community football sessions are often fully booked with a waiting list of players, depite the cold and wet Cardiff weather. Image: Wiktoria Jazwinska

A small community football night has grown from 15 to over 120 players in its first year, with its sessions at Ocean Park Arena often fully booked.

Two friends launched Mentality Football in September 2023 to encourage men to talk about mental health issues.

Founders Luke Swain, 26, and Calum O’Neill, 27, both from Penarth say the weekly club gives Cardiff’s football lovers a friendly, non-competitive environment to play with a focus on mental health, not individual performance and competition.

Now, the duo is in contact with Cardiff City FC Foundation to help sponsor the club and expand its offerings with additional evenings at various venues across the city, said O’Neill.

Mentality Football founders who focus on improving men's mental health in sports stand next to each other on a football pitch smiling.
Luke Swain (left) and Calum O’Neill (right) are great friends running the football sessions, having fun and encouraging everyone to do well. Image: Wiktoria Jazwinska

Zach Dyer, 26, has been a club member since the launch. “It’s the highlight of my week. I love that I can lift others, and they can lift me if I need it – that’s what makes the club so special,” he said.

Players nominate a “mentality of the month” winner which celebrates the person with the most positive attitude. “The guys get excited about voting and seeing who wins,” said Swain.

Data from the Office for National Statistics suggests suicide rates for males in England and Wales increased to 17.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2023, the highest rate for males since 1999.

Both founders have navigated mental health challenges in their 20s. O’Neill said: “We wanted to create something that made us feel like it was okay to feel how we did but make it authentic and relatable.”

“The goal was to make a tangible, weekly impact within the local community. We wanted to offer stress-free, non-competitive, low-commitment football,” said O’Neill.

The founders launched the community football night following the success of its sister company, Mentality Clothing. The brand promotes positive mental health messages and donates 10% of profits to Mind Cymru, a mental health charity.