http://www.zestfootballclub.com/

ZesT Football Club, Aberdeen (2026)

05/01/2025

My challenge page is live now for anyone who wants to follow my Jan 2025 JOGLE, raising money for AberNecessities

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571333827903

Only follow if you are behind what I am doing.

Farewell Zest Football Club, this is the LAST POST.

Thanks for all the great memories.

Love from me and my baby ❤️ 🐾 ######x

We will be changing colours 💜💚, that's all ❤️⚽❤️

💜💚⚽💚💜

Everyone

27/12/2024

This will be my last post on the page.

This photo was taken today, on the very same path that I came up with the idea of ZesT Football Club

I found football by accident, as an 11 year old boy wanting to escape the realities of life as the child of an alcoholic / addict. I didn't really enjoy it to begin with, but it's ended up being the best part of my life ⚽🤗🫶

I found football again, after i came out of rehab, as a 44 year old man, (having himself suffered from the illness of drug and alcohol addiction). I feel that part of the reason this didn't work, is people still have a huge stigma about addiction, and believe it is not an illness. Only those that have experienced it first hand, knows that not the case.
I used football as my higher power, to keep me on the straight and narrow, and sober.

In 2021 I launched this football club and into something of both my dreams and my nightmares.

I'm leaving this football club, having changed lots of lives, and giving kids some HOPE, and some escape from reality through the power of football ⚽

I've loved working with my ASN team, and all the adventures we had.

They won't give me credit for it, but there's 30 odd guys still playing walking football, Iargely due to this football club.

I know this is what I'm meant to do - HELP People 🫶

There's nothing else that really needs to be said, apart from, I'm leaving this club, with a lot less than what I put into it.

I've got the experience now though, which will stand me in good stead for my future plans.

I've made some incredible friends along the way, and witnessed some incredible kindness, generally from those that dont have much themselves.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED ME 🫶⭐❤️‍🩹

I don't think the world is a worse place because of this club.

Do you want to know the ONLY constant that's been in my life since I was an 11 year old boy, and the only thing that hasn't deserted me?

It's FOOTBALL ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It doesn't just change lives, it saves them too ⚽❤️‍🩹⚽

Hopefully I'll see some of you on a football pitch in the future.

I think for one man and his dog, we done alright 🙏 ❤️‍🩹🐾⭐

Love Zander & Kibou ❤️‍🩹 ######x ❤️‍🩹

Final kick about tomorrow, Cruyff Court, Torry 1030 - 1230 FREE, anyone who has played with Zest Football Club ⚽❤️‍🩹⚽

Feel free to comment on this post if you have any final POSITIVE thoughts or memories.

I'll post links to my new pages on Sunday,

Everyone

26/12/2024

Time to say goodbye, my way ⚽🥰⚽

**ZesT Football Club final kick about - Saturday 28th December ⚽❤️‍🩹⚽ 1030 -1230 hrs, Cruyff Court, Torry**

They say you never fall out of love, until you fall in love again.

Its time to say goodbye to this football club, on my terms, the way I want to do it.

This weekend I'll launch my new pages for my challenge and also for Aurora Football Club.

I'm going to shut this page down on Sunday.

On Saturday morning from 1030 - 1230am I'm going to be playing football at The Cruyff Court in Torry.

I invite anyone who wants to come for a kick about, anyone whose shared a football pitch with me since I launched this football club, I'd love to see any of you, for one last time with myZesT Football Club strip on.

It doesn't cost anything to come.

I'm really sick of saying goodbye to things, that's the biggest challenge that lays ahead of me in 2025, holding on to things, and the people I want to be part of my life ✊🌏❤️‍🩹⭐⚽

⚽❤️⚽

Everyone

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas from my baby and me (I hate saying I 😉) 🎅❤️🫶🐾

I hope you've all had an amazing day, and got everything you wished for 🫶

Some of my best memories are from Christmas day, my mum really made the magic of Christmas from my childhood 🎅🎄❤️‍🩹

We slept til 10am, we played football, we didn't walk far, I ate a family size prawn cocktail 🍹 ars*d cooking Christmas dinner 😂 I've ate cheese, crackers, pate. Watched Christmas movies, cuddled 🐾 and snoozed. ❤️

I miss my mum today more than most days, but we've still had a good day,

I got some lovely presents, I feel more loved this Christmas than I have in a while 🎅❤️‍🩹🫶🎄⭐

Enjoy the rest of your day everyone, I think I'll do roughly the same tomorrow 😊 ###

Everyone

24/12/2024

Despite me not being a Dad, I've been able to take part in the magic of Christmas today.

I help a family where both parents are addicts, only the mum lives with the children now, life is soo hard when you live with this illness.

I'm sober and I'm still struggling almost 4 years on, so I know how it is, it's not easy to get back on your feet if you don't have a huge support network round you.

She tries her very best and thats all you can do.

Without spending a penny, and with help from one of my friends, we were able to drop off a sack full of nearly new things, all the things that the mum had promised her kids and some more.....🤗

This is the kind of stuff AberNecessities do every day, I'm buzzing to go out on loan for them for up to 3 months 😃⚽❤️‍🩹

I really just want to help people, I feel like I should be sad today, but I'm not, I'm not because soo many people have rallied round me this last few weeks in particular, I feel like I'm loved by a lot of people.

I hope I don't have to leave Westhill, it's where I.belong, everyone knows who I am here, well nearly everyone 😔 those who don't, that's there problem not mine ❤️‍🩹

I've got a fridge full of Christmas food and presents for Keebz and I, we will enjoy the next few days.

We need to, it's probably going to be the last quality time we will enjoy in this house, my mum's old house. I know she'd be proud of me right now, she made my life soo magical at times, particularly at Christmas time.

I'm feeling like I just want to cuddle Kibou and watch TV, I've been telling her what's going to be happening, she knows what I'm saying, she's sad, so am I - just about the thought of leaving her.

Thanks soo much to those that have donated to my crowdfunder today and previously 🎅🫶❤️‍🩹, I didn't really want to push it past Christmas but it's looking like that will be the case.

I had a fab time with some of my puppies today.

I hope you all get everything that you wish for, and I hope that whatever your situation is that you can try and enjoy life for a few days.

Have an awesome Christmas everyone, lots of kisses and cuddles from Keebz and me 🎅❤️‍🩹🫶 ######x 🫶❤️‍🩹🎅

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/zanders-jogle-2025-on-behalf-of-abernecessties

Everyone

21/12/2024

JOGLE Training step up 🫶⭐💪 19 miles

When you've left your house at 0630am on a Saturday morning, you walk to Union Square (9 miles) knowing that you're just gonna turn round and do it all again, it tests your metal......Swearing helps, so does talking to yourself, music is key 🫶 didn't have to call any of the big guns today.

It also helped for me to think back to some other mad Fridays where I'd still have been up taking drugs, I was smiling, cos I felt soo happy, I've came soooo far, I'm the best version of me I've ever been ✅

It was fab seeing a couple of donations coming in whilst I was doing the walk.

Over £2000 now, thanks soo much everyone ❤️

I walked further than I was supposed to, I was going to stop after I got home, but I'd only walked 15.83 miles and I had it my head I was going to do 18.

To go back out was the LAST thing I wanted to do but I killed that last bit, excluding the last mile 😭😭

I'm gonna smash this challenge for you all, I can feel it in my gut, and I know im gonna raise thousands for AberNecessities I'm going to feel like Superman.

I'll have a rest now for a couple of days, I've got a hole on the bottom of my little toe, I've had it a couple of days now. It needs to heal.

Happy boy ❤️

Everyone

20/12/2024

Thanks an absolute MILLION to everyone that's getting behind me, I'll be going to my bed soon because I'm going to get walking as soon as my eyelid twitches n the morning, I'm going to walk 18 miles tomorrow, as soon as I've done that I'll be cuddling my baby for the rest of the weekend.

Please if you are donating leave a comment, Im loving them ❤️‍🩹🫶💪 they are giving me HOPE, I'll be trying to fly soon enough 😄🙏⭐🫶⭐

X######

Everyone

20/12/2024

Are you sure your Calves are ready Dad 😜

I didn't have one muscle in my legs 3.5 years ago.

Anything is possible when you put your mind to it!

Someone told me I should BEKIND to myself, I'm doing that today, because I've a huge day tomorrow, that's going to test me ⭐

Enjoy MAD Friday everyone, I used to 🎄 I'm away for a wee nap 😴

❤️‍🩹 X###### ❤️‍🩹

20/12/2024

AberNecessities

I'll be leaving my baby for up to 3 months, to raise money for other people's babys.

This is going to be raw, the temperatures are the reason why not many people would do the JOGLE in January.

I'm not many people, I'm unique, I want to make it as difficult and as painful as possible. I'm on the best place fitness wise I've ever been 💪

I know I'll come back the best version of me there has ever been. To do that, I have to go back.

How would people feel if I ended up back on the drink again, I know it would the end of my life as soon as I touched that first drink.

I know it might not look like I'm winning, trust me I am, this is my MAD Friday, I'd forgive you all for taring me to shreds if I was causing havoc for the world back on drink and drugs, I'm not. I'm not committing any crime, I'm asking people out right, have you got a FIVER, to help me raise THOUSANDS ; thats all I'm asking.

I'll do whatever I need to do, to ensure that doesn't happen, this is a step I feel I need to take to get me ready, and enjoy probably the last 20/25 years of quality working time.

Please donate £5 towards MY expenses (Food & Accommodation), I'm hoping to reach my target so we can get the proper fundraiser kicked off directly for Abernecessities.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/zanders-jogle-2025-on-behalf-of-abernecessties

❤️‍🩹 X###### ❤️‍🩹

Everyone

20/12/2024

I HOPE that you can let me be The Superman that I know I can be.

Its black eye Friday today, and let me tell you I made a mess of a lot of Christmas nights out, I remember one where I was sick ALL over the dance floor at the Marcliffe in 2013 - I was mortified, but it didn't stop me.

I wont be celebrating Christmas this year, I'm on my knees and I'm still fighting to save my life and future.

I know on this corresponding day last year the Westhill branch of Markies took in sales of £230,000 in ONE day.

If people believe in me, I HOPE that you donate £5, the cost of a drink, you'll be kicking yourself next year if you haven't - because I'm going to be a shining light next year, a beacon of HOPE for ANYONE that needs me.

I feel that a huge part of my future lies ahead on completion of the biggest challenge of my life (to date).

I'm going to walk the COMPLETE length of the UK by road, I see some people say its actually well over 1200 miles by road.
I am bankrupt, and I will be homeless from day zero, the day that I leave Aberdeen for John O' Groats.

The new Superman Trailer was released yesterday, its TALKING to me on soo many different levels.

Have a look at the images attached to this post, and watch the Trailer you'll see what I mean, or you'll think I'm crazy.

The point is, I have to be Superman in my story, do I HOPE that I can come back and be the best version of SUPERMAN in my story.
I'm a very unique person, and I'm soo happy that despite all of these things that I wasn't supposed to make it through, I have, and I'm getting stronger.

I HOPE that you can spare £5 today to help me go towards reaching my target of £4,000, I am investing everything that I'll have during the course of the 3 months of 2025 £1,485.00
I know for a fact, that if you'd seen me out on black Friday, or any other night out, I would have bought you a drink a million percent.

The families of Aberdeen who are struggling to get through daily life, they need a Superman, as many as they can get.
I'm the perfect candidate for the job,

I HOPE you all have a fab and safe day with whatever you are doing.

I've got my new boots on from Fergie today, so I might do a wee modelling shoot for you all later.

Thank you for any support shown, lets get this smashed so I can get the JOGLE page set up and start fundraising directly for AberNecessities ❤

Love from the little boy, who still HOPES he can be SUPERMAN ######x

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/.../zanders-jogle-2025-on...

Everyone

19/12/2024

I've hut a brick wall, I had such a great morning, got good miles and time into my legs. I stopped today to meet an old friend, and I couldn't really get going again.

Fergie asked me to go and see him today as he had a parcel for me 🥹 he's living with MND, and it's likely this could be his last Christmas 💔

We had a good chat about old times and current times.

He's soo brave, he's soo handsome still, and he is fighting like a warrior everyday. It's hard seeing the deterioration of his body, and Lucy having to carry him 😔

Motor Neurone Syndrome MND, what a horrible illness, we were talking like nothing has changed, because he is still the same, but can't control much of his body, and it's frustrating for him trying to talk 😞

He's trying his best to enjoy Christmas but he's struggling to get into the spirit.

I'm not going to pretend that we are best friends, or ever have been but we were friends growing up, and always respected each other.

Fergie played for the Aberdeen lads club under 18 team (photo attached), he wasn't there on the day of the photo ,I said to him today, he was probably on a date or something 😁

He was easy on the eye as a footballer, skilful and obviously loved the glory of scoring goals ⚽❤️⚽

In 2019, you might remember that there was a video doing the rounds of Aberdeen of me snorting class A drugs, he was the ONLY person that told me about that. 🫶🤗

I had a sleepover with him when we were at Springhill primary school, I can remember my Disney PJ's. We found this gauge meter in his shed, that we called the condom detector, it's weird the memories you retain.

Fergie's bought me boots for the JOGLE ❤️‍🩹

I asked him if I could do something special for MND, I'm going to do it on Christmas day, will share what that is on Christmas morning 🚶‍♂️❤️‍🩹🫶

One of my other school friends is also living with MND, what a cruel world we live in 🥹

I'm going to listen to my body and my head and take the rest of the day as rest, I'll get back at it tomorrow ❤️‍🩹🫶🌏 ######x

Everyone

18/12/2024

Soo happy with the outcome of the logo for Aurora FC - This will be my new and final Dawn, and I'll do everything I possibly can to make it a success.

Let me know what you think of the logo, Kibou's the main reason I'm still breathing today, of course she's a huge part of my life, and dogs are just amazing, I'm proud to have my dog, my family as the main character of my dream.

She's the most loving, caring and loyal dog you'll ever meet, she's just like her Dad, and that's going to be the only type of environment that this club will belong.

I won't be doing anything else with it until we sort out a bank account.

I'm trying to find the right people / organisation to take care of all of the financial side of the club.

I'm not making any of the same mistakes I did previously.

No more on Aurora FC for now, I am going to set up the page before end of the year but that's it. I've got a few people that are keen to invest in the club, which is making me feel really positive ☺️💪❤️‍🩹

We won't be on any pitches until Summer 2025.

I got a great day's training in today, no pain this morning, I felt I was generally happy through out the 5 hours, I'm going to have to build that up to a couple of 9 hour walks next week.

Let's do this 🤗❤️‍🩹⚽

Everyone

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