The Big Match features two men’s teams (Residential United v Commercial City) made up of football enthusiasts (of varying levels of skill and fitness!) from Edinburgh’s property and legal spheres.
They will be joined by local celebrity chef Tom Kitchin, ex-Hearts and Premier league player Christophe Berra, and ex-Hibs player and former pupil of Broughton High, Darren Dods.
The Big Match aims to raise a game-changing amount of money for local charities and this year we’re delighted they’ve chosen Spartans Community Foundation as their beneficiaries, so we’re keen to spread the word!
This is the fourth year of The Big Match. It’s free to spectators and the atmosphere is always brilliant, with vocal crowds!
The game is always hard fought – the referee will have a tough job harnessing the levels of competitive spirit on the pitch tomorrow!
Over 200 people attended an international fun football tournament in North Edinburgh recently, whilst also learning about the important work carried out by Armed Forces charity Poppyscotland.
An excited crowd watched as 10 teams, made up of staff from State Street Corporation – the American global financial services and bank holding company – from across the globe joined teams from Poppyscotland and Passion4Fusion to compete in the competition at Ainslie Park, the home of Spartans Community Football Club.
Players had descended on the capital city from Scotland, England, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Ireland, Italy and Germany, with the home team of State Street Edinburgh crowned the champions.
As well as the football, over the course of the afternoon spectators also enjoyed a fully licenced bar, a ‘braai’ (South African BBQ), DJ’s and musicians providing some top entertainment. Poppyscotland’s interactive mobile museum, BUD, was also on location sharing the charity’s archive, veterans’ stories and the poppy’s heritage.
Damian Doran-Timson, Corporate Fundraiser at Poppyscotland said: “We are extremely grateful to State Street for hosting this annual tournament and we would like to thank both them and Spartans for making the event happen.
“I would also like to thank all of those who represented Poppyscotland and those who came along and supported us despite some awful weather – it was very much appreciated and greatly strengthened the excellent relationship we have with State Street.
“Every year they hold this event in a different country around the world and in support of a different charity, so it was really special that this year’s tournament was here in Scotland and allowed us to demonstrate the excellent work we do at Poppyscotland in supporting serving and ex-servicemen and women at times of need, including help with housing, debt, mental health, and mobility.”
For more information on the charity and how your donations help the Armed Forces community please visit poppyscotland.org.uk
An Edinburgh start-up is making a major impact in communities after accessing support from Business Gateway.
Blast Boxing, a community interest company, aims to improve mental and physical wellbeing through accessible boxing classes and one-to-one sessions. Designed to help locals get fit, have fun and learn core boxing skills, the sessions take place in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Founded by Kevin Matthews, the organisation offers a range of affordable classes for children and adults, along with drop-in social events and PE sessions delivered through Edinburgh’s Active Schools programme.
Blast Boxing also hosts specialist wellbeing sessions, including ‘Box N’ Blether’, a popular format combining one hour of physical activity with one hour of open conversation, as well as parent-and-toddler classes and wellbeing sessions for both men and women.
Working with a range of established organisations and charities in Edinburgh, the team offer physical and emotional support to residents in disadvantaged communities. As well as boxing, the team brings years of experience and qualifications in youth work, community engagement, health and fitness.
Having previously worked in the community as a pupil support assistant and youth worker, Kevin saw firsthand the positive impact exercise had on mental health. At the age of 30, he pursued a qualification in sports coaching, setting the foundation for his vision of a community-focused fitness organisation.
Blast Boxing has recently worked alongside charities Score Scotland and Spartans, to support young people and adults in the area through introductory sessions, mentorship and dedicated classes and is currently running sessions with West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.
Kevin reached out to Business Gateway in January 2024 to turn his vision into reality. He has been supported throughout his start-up journey by local adviser Lee Briggs, who has provided expert one-to-one guidance, business planning assistance, and advice on business structure, legislation, and community engagement.
Business Gateway has also helped Kevin access funding opportunities and connect with local groups, enabling Blast Boxing to thrive.
Lee’s guidance has played a key role in Kevin’s journey to grow Blast Boxing into a thriving enterprise, allowing the business to make a meaningful and lasting impact across Edinburgh.
Kevin Matthews, Blast Boxing founder, said:“Business Gateway has been instrumental in helping me bring my vision for Blast Boxing to life.
“The support and guidance I’ve received from Lee has given me the confidence and knowledge to shape Blast Boxing into an initiative that serves the community and makes a real difference on the lives of those involved.”
Lee Briggs, Business Gateway adviser, said: “Having supported Kevin since day one, it has been fantastic to see his passion and dedication translate into real, positive change for the community.
“Blast Boxing is a brilliant example of how the right support and determination can create something truly impactful.”
To find out more about how Business Gateway can help your business, visit:
Legends of the game unite to raise £20k for inclusive play and social spaces
A HIGHLY anticipated charity football match is set to bring together property professionals and football legends in a bid to raise £20,000 for an inclusive outdoor space.
The Big Match will take place on March 7th at Spartans Football Club in Edinburgh, with two rival teams – Residential United and Commercial City – going head-to-head to support Capability Scotland’s YouthZone project.
The event, organised by Steve Currie of estate agents Murray & Currie, will see former football stars Gordon Smith and Billy Davies manage the teams, with big-name player Darren Dods and former Hearts striker Gary Wales also taking part.
Funds raised from the match will go towards creating an outdoor play area for YouthZone, a lifeline service for disabled children and young people in Riccarton, Edinburgh. The group offers a safe space for socialisation, skills development, and play at weekends.
Steve Currie, Director at Murray & Currie, said: “The Big Match is all about bringing people together for a fantastic cause. The property sector is a competitive industry, so putting that energy into a friendly football rivalry makes for a great event.
“Knowing that every goal and every donation made helps build a safer, more inclusive space for children and young people at YouthZone is a huge motivator. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone supporting this initiative.”
The £20,000 target has the potential to benefit 65 children and 30 adults, helping them feel more included in their community while providing a safe and enjoyable space to gather.
Costs for the project have doubled due to unexpected issues, and so this funding will allow YouthZone to build a safer and more accessible outdoor space, complete with accessible play equipment and protective fencing.
Ailsa Wallace, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Capability Scotland, said: “This event will make an incredible difference to the lives of disabled children and young people.
“YouthZone is a place where they can relax, socialise, and have fun in a supportive environment, and the funds raised from The Big Match will help us enhance and protect this vital space.
“We’re hugely grateful to The Big Match for choosing us as their charity partner and to all the sponsors, players, and supporters making this event possible.”
Now in its third year, the match is backed by headline sponsors Shepherds and Graham & Sibbald, with Hummel donating kits and The Spartans Community Foundation providing the stadium, changing rooms, and referee, thanks to the generosity of Chris Kirby at Hummel and Dan Gerrard at Spartans.
Edinburgh’s property industry has rallied behind the event, with teams made up of players from Murray & Currie Property, Simpson Marwick, Ralph Sayer, Murray Developments, S1 Developments, VALTTI Paints, Hampden Bank, Handelsbanken, Thistle Property, AH&Co Accountants, Redpath Bruce, Square & Crescent, Melville Independent, Turcan Connell, Square Foot Media, and AMA Developments.
With excitement building, the event is expected to draw a strong crowd of supporters keen to cheer on their teams while making a meaningful difference.
Capability Scotland is a leading charity providing care, support and education to children and young people living with physical and intellectual disabilities, while supporting parents and caregivers through respite.
The charity has multiple outreaches all over Scotland to ensure young disabled people get the opportunities to grow and thrive.
To support The Big Match, and for more details, visit:
Long-serving Spartans youth players have been presented with medals to mark 10 years of service to the club.
The group belong to the current Under-17s set-up, having first joined not long after starting primary school.
Les Atkinson is chairman of the youth section and said: “We want to make people feel welcome and create a safe place for them to play their football and enjoy themselves here. It’s the ethos of the club which we work on and testimony to that is the length of time people stay at the club.
“There is a real family feel to the club, a community spirit to it, and that helps keep players with us as they want to be part of something special.
“We are always pleased to develop players so they can move to bigger clubs but often they come back to us if things don’t work out for whatever reason.”
Spartans take on Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the quarter-final of the League Cup later this month and Les, who is also manager of the Under-20 Development Squad, added: “We have a visible pathway now which the youngsters can see. At least half a dozen of the first team players have come through the youth section to the U20 development squad and into the top team.
“Now we are in the SPFL, the players have a real target to aim for. The success of the first team filters down to the development team and then through the youth section and creates a real feel-good factor.
“But we have always been about more than just football and winning trophies. A key part of our success is doing a lot outwith the football, helping the local community.”
The youngsters were presented with the medals at half-time of a recent league match at Ainslie Park.
Photo shows back row (l-r): Les Atkinson (Spartans FC Youth Chairman), Stuart Gray (coach development officer), Daniel Weir, Cameron Findlay, Joe Barry, Josh Smith, Ola Benson, Michael Kiddie, Ford Mills, Tony Lewis (U17s coach), Paul Woods (U17s coach).Front row (l-r): Hugo Boyle, Charlie Cusiter, Preston Kennedy, Joe Woods, Ben Lewis, Finlay McNally, Chris Mill.
Duke of Cambridge calls in at Spartans to talk mental health
Duke visits Spartans FC to hear about positive impact of the Heads Up ‘Mentally Healthy Football’ declaration in Scotland
Scotland’s spot-kick hero David Marshall joins Duke and other Home Nations players in zoom conversation on mental health
Mental Health League players engage in shooting drill with Duke and former Scotland international Steven Thompson
Spartans FC received a royal visitor yesterday when the Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, paid a visit to Pilton to hear about the progress made in putting mental health and wellbeing at the forefront of the game in Scotland.
The trip to Spartans was the Duke’s first stop on his visit to Scotland, and saw him meet with representatives from the Scottish FA, Breathing Space, Time to Tackle, the Hampden Sports Clinic and Bonnyrigg Rose to discuss the range of mental health initiatives running in Scottish football.
With the visit also coming on the eve of the Scottish Cup Final, the Duke met with former Scottish Cup winners Chris Iwelumo and Marvin Bartley, who previously won the Scottish Cup with tomorrow’s finalists St Johnstone and Hibs respectively.
David McPhee, Chair of the Scottish Mental Health and Wellbeing League, spoke with the Duke as they took in some action from small-sided matches featuring players from the League.
The League, which was previously run by the Scottish FA, was set up to support recovery and tackle stigma associated with mental health.
A number of the Mental Health and Wellbeing League players then helped the Duke test his shooting skills, as he took part in a friendly skills challenge with them and former Scotland striker Steven Thompson.
Scotland’s spot-kick hero David Marshall then joined the Duke and other Home Nations players in a zoom conversation to discuss changing the conversation on mental health and their experiences over the past year.
Also taking part in the catch-up ahead of UEFA EURO 2020 were Harry Kane for England, Julie Nelson for Northern Ireland, and Jess Fishlock MBE for Wales.
The plan, which supports the Royal Foundation’s Heads Up mental health campaign, aims to end the stigma around the issue in football and create an environment for people to talk openly about their mental health in the game.
The Duke learned of the success of the Scottish FA’s mental health e-learning platform, which has seen more than 9,000 players, staff, managers and officials in the Scottish football community complete mental health awareness training through the platform in less than a year.
This commitment saw governing bodies, leagues and organisations from across UK football join in recognising that mental health is as important as physical health, and pioneering a ‘team approach’ on this important issue.
Local children from Forthview Primary School are to have the opportunity to participate in an exciting 12-week community project delivered by The Scottish Football Partnership Trust and The Spartans Community Football Academy.
GoFitba is a free to access football-based health and wellbeing project for Primary schoolchildren developed by The Scottish Football Partnership Trust and delivered by community football clubs.
The project aims to support the Curriculum for Excellence’s Health and Wellbeing outcomes as set out by The Scottish Government’s Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007.
Through a fun and progressive structure and delivery, the weekly two-hour project offers young children a platform of regular and fun physical activity and an understanding of the importance of leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle through diet and nutrition.
The project also aims to increase the young people’s self-motivation, improve their self-confidence, further develop their social and interpersonal skills and improve their general self-esteem.
The project timetable provides one structured afternoon per week and takes a holistic approach to teach the children the benefits of regular physical activity within a football environment.
The youngsters participate in an hour of fun football activity, and during the second hour of each session they take part in an interactive educational journey to explore the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle through diet and nutrition. Each session ends with the children being served a hot, healthy meal and an opportunity to enjoy some social time with their peers.
Stuart McCaffrey, Chief Operating Officer at The SFP Trust said “The sport of football when used positively can act as a significant tool for personal and community development.
“We are excited to be delivering this project with (name of club) – a club truly at the heart of the community – and to be given the opportunity to positively engage with local school children to encourage them towards a healthy and active lifestyle.”
Douglas Samuel of The Spartans Community Football Academy said: “We are delighted to be working in association with The SFP Trust on this project which will see The Academy welcome 20 local schoolchildren over the next 12 weeks.
“Spartans Community Football Academy is always looking for new ways to engage with the local community and the GoFitba project is a fantastic way to showcase what we can offer to young members of our community at our excellent facilities here at the Academy.
“Participation in sport can bring a lifetime of benefits and we look forward to working with the children from Forthview Primary School to Get Fit, Get Healthy and Have Fun!”
