Football Replay, a scheme designed to get men over the age of 35 playing fun five-a-side football on a regular basis, will be breaking out across the country throughout October.

From North Shields and Stockton-on-Tees in the north to Brighton and Plymouth in the south, 'old-timers' will be taking up the challenge to disprove the theory that they're past it at 35.

In all, no less than 39 dedicated five-a-side football centres, managed by Power League, PlayFootball, Goals and Pitch Invasion, are involved in the brand new initiative, which has the full backing the
Football Association and the Men's Health Forum. Dr Ian Banks, the Men's Health Forum President, claims there's a worrying drop in activity levels when men get to the age of 35, and he added: "It's tragic that so many men die young from conditions that are preventable, and we have to do something to change the trend."

According to Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's Director of Football Development, Football Replay has a big part to play in keeping men active - and is also an ideal way of reversing the trend of players dropping out of football when they get into their 30's.

Nigel Hargreaves, the Founder of Football Replay said: "It's a real challenge for us to persuade men who believe that football is no longer for them that not only can they still enjoy the game but also, it will do them the world of good.

"The key to Football Replay is that it's about people of similar levels of fitness and ability turning up every week - on their own, with a group of work colleagues or a gang of mates from the pub - and having fun."

Many of the centres are launching their weekly programmes this Sunday (October 3) but check out the website www.footballreplay.net because a number don't start until later in the month.