King’s College London’s men’s and women’s football teams will participate in a charity match against Queen Mary’s men’s and women’s football teams to raise funds for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
This is the second year the event has run, and this year promises to be bigger and better than before.
The match is being held on Wednesday, 22 October, with kick-off at 8:30 at the London Marathon Community Track in London Stadium, with 300-person seating and 1,000 standing capacity.
Tickets are currently on sale for £7 and include entry to sports night at Drapers, Queen Mary’s student bar, afterwards, which promises to be a great afterparty.
The teams will be mixed, with two men and four women from each team, and players of all skill levels.
Roar spoke to Conrad Smith and Marina Alperi, Presidents of KCL men’s and women’s football respectively, who spoke on their aims and goals for this year’s charity match.
“It’s bigger than football. We want to emphasise that this charity match represents much more than sports.” – President of KCL Women’s football speaking to Roar
The UNHCR: “helps to save lives and build better futures for the millions of people forced to flee their homes.” Conrad, inspired by FC Barcelona’s longstanding partnership with UNICEF, believes KCL Football should also make an effort to build a community around the values of UNHCR.
Last year’s match saw great success, with over 400 people in attendance and raised over £4,000 to donate to UNHCR. This year, as Marina told us, the teams “want to match and hopefully excel the amazing turnout and results of last year’s match”.
“We want passionate boys and girls to come together for an important cause to show everyone what KCL stands for,” – President of KCL Men’s Football speaking to Roar
“We think this year is going to be even more successful,” says Conrad, due to the huge number of sign-ups to both the men’s and women’s teams. The men now have a 7th competitive team and a recreational team, and the women are preparing to launch a 4th team due to high demand.
Marina told Roar, “I was so happy to see over 250 girls sign up to tryouts”, as she firmly believes in increasing female participation in football and sports overall.
While football and competition are one thing, the real value of university sports lies in its community. For freshers, it’s a great way to make friends through a shared interest, and for returning students, a way to reunite with old teammates and continue playing together.
This year’s upcoming charity match between King’s and Queen Mary promises to be a celebration of community, compassion, and solidarity. Building on last year’s success, both clubs are using sport as a platform to support UNHCR’s vital mission of protecting refugees worldwide.
With growing participation, greater inclusivity, and a shared sense of purpose, this year’s event reflects the true spirit of student sport: teamwork, generosity, and making a difference beyond the pitch.
So what are you waiting for? Come support amazing people and an amazing cause.
Tickets can be purchased here.
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