Your chance to play at Fratton Park and raise money for Charity
Have you ever wanted to play at Fratton Park - the Historic home of Portsmouth Football Club? Well, now is your chance. The Students Vs Staff Charity Match is back for 2025 and bigger than ever. Now in it’s 6th year, the Students have won 3 out of 5 games, so can the Staff team come back this year and level the score. Who will walk away with the bragging rights for the next academic year?
The event was last held in 2023, but this time we're looking for Staff/Students who want to grace the hallowed turf of Fratton Park. Play in the same stadium as the likes of Marlon Pack, Matt Ritchie, Hannah Haughton, Sophie Quirk, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, and Ronaldinho.
Register your interest to play, by 4 April
The match will take place on Friday 9 May in the afternoon/early evening. To apply to play, we are gathering interest from players. You should have a fair footballing ability and have a good level of fitness. We are working with Portsmouth Football Club and the Football Association with the hope of providing a mixed game, so we are looking for those identifying as male or female to apply. Complete the form below by Friday 4 April.
The staff team will be led by Head of Sport - Carl Athersuch with the student team led by our Team UOP Exec RAG Officer Ben Green and Performance Officer Ben Heyes.
Our charities
The match will be the perfect finish to a bank holiday week, watching the next match-up between Students and Staff/Alumni for the all-important trophy. The trophy is important for pride for the winning team, but the purpose of the event is to raise as much money for Charity as possible. Having raised over £45k during previous events. All funds raised this year will go towards two charities - Pompey in the Community and the Portsmouth Futures Fund.
Pompey in the Community
Pompey in the Community is an award-winning charity which harnesses the motivational power of Portsmouth Football Club to promote education, healthy living, sporting participation and achievement among vulnerable and disadvantaged people of all ages.
This year alone, 36,000 participants accessed their programmes with over 3,000 children engaged in curriculum activity. Pompey in the Community distributed approximately 3.6 tonnes of food bank donations across Portsmouth and their Pompey Pedals team volunteered 6000 hours to provide access to cycling in an inclusive, stimulating environment.
Pompey in the Community also offered over 1,000 places during the Summer holidays for children on free school meals to access our Holiday Activity and Food programmes. 95% of parents and carers said they wouldn’t have access to hot meals in the holidays without this programme.
Portsmouth Futures fund
The Portsmouth Futures fund helps people, people who need your help to explore, discover, create and make the world a better place. With your help, students can buy course materials, cover living expenses and participate in enrichment programmes like field trips and exchanges. Your support allows students in financial difficulty to benefit from life-changing experiences.
Some doors just need to be opened. Like doors to education, for bright young scholars without the means to realise their potential. Or doors to life-changing experiences and learning through which leaders are born. Or doors to research that solves the most pressing environmental, health and social problems.
Many of the students supported through the Portsmouth Futures Fund are care leavers, have dependants, disabilities or learning differences, or are from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds. Contributions to the Portsmouth Futures Fund provide contributions to current students for course material bursaries, living expense hardship grants, special equipment like dictation technology, childcare expenses, educational trips and learning enrichment activities and postgraduate study expenses. The Portsmouth Futures Fund makes a difference; to the student and the world.
Spectators, Save the Date
The fixture at Fratton Park can hold up to 2,000 spectators so we’re excited to get as many students, staff, friends, family and public at the match. The Victory lounge will be in full operation before, during and after the game with a full bar and hot snacks available. Get refreshed before walking out behind the goal at the famous Fratton End to enjoy the game.
Staff
Register your interest by Friday 4 April, ahead of trials/training taking place at Langstone Sports Site on Wednesday 9 April.
Students
Register your interest by Friday 4 April, and we'll be in contact about when trials/training is taking place.