Football heroes cheer on teams at Partnership Trophy

Man City captain and England star Kyle Walker joined Celtic and Wales legend John Hartson to cheer on players at The Salvation Army’s annual football tournament for people who are homeless.  

The thirteenth Partnership Trophy brought together 30 teams for the competitive five-a-side tournament to help raise awareness of homelessness, boost morale and improve positive wellbeing and mental health.  

Special guest John Hartson presented the trophy to winning side The Orchard from Bradford and spoke to players about his career and own struggles battling cancer and a gambling addiction. He said: “I thoroughly enjoyed today. The standard of football has been great, they've played seven or eight games, and their fitness levels are so good! The camaraderie is great. There’s a lot of respect for each other. 

“People have been sharing their stories with me, some who have lost their way at some stage in their life but are working really hard to get back on track.

“It’s been great that The Salvation Army put this special day on. I think the guys really appreciate it. For that one day everyone can forget what’s going on outside.”

The event, held at GOALS in Manchester, on Thursday 19th September, also welcomed Man City captain and England right-back Kyle Walker, who chatted to players about their experiences of homelessness, posed for photographs and watched the games in play.

The Partnership Trophy is run by The Salvation Army and its subsidiary, Salvation Army Homes, bringing together football teams from Lifehouses (hostels), supported housing, outreach programmes and drop-in services from around the UK.  

The event is one of the many ways the church and charity promotes positive and independent living for its service users and reinforces the message that helping people to move on from homelessness is more than just providing a roof over someone’s head. 

Nathan Slinn, deputy director of the Homelessness Services Department for The Salvation Army, said: “What another fantastic event for our service users and staff. The teams were on top form playing a friendly but competitive game, and to have support from such big names as John Hartson and Kyle Walker means a lot. Congratulations to The Orchard from Bradford who were worthy winners.  

“The aim of our Partnership Trophy is to celebrate everyone within our homelessness services, acknowledging the journey they are on and recognising the challenges that many have had to overcome, and we really did that today.  

“Thank you to both John Hartson and Kyle Walker and all of the organisations that supported us, including GOALS for hosting us again, and the Guardiola Sala Foundation who generously donated footballs, caps and covered the cost of reusable water bottles, stress balls, bags and transport for teams travelling from across the country.”  

The Guardiola Sala Foundation (GSF) is a humanitarian charity set up by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and his family who have supported the event for the last five years. P

Pep Guardiola said: “It’s so encouraging to witness how football can bring people together and help them overcome really tough personal challenges. The Guardiola Sala Foundation is delighted to be a part of this event.” 

The event was also generously sponsored by The Salvation Army’s insurance company, Sagic (Salvation Army General Insurance Corporation), an ethical insurer which provides comprehensive insurance products to families, businesses and charities across the UK and ensures profits are used to provide financial backing to many of the great causes supported by The Salvation Army.  

The Salvation Army holds the event every year in partnership with its subsidiary, Salvation Army Homes, which has been part of The Salvation Army family providing housing services since 1959. With over 4,000 homes, providing people in need of safety, security and opportunities with quality accommodation, Salvation Army Homes, together with the church and charity, help people on their journey of personal transformation and out of homelessness. As with Lifehouses and drop-in services, Salvation Army Homes works with a variety of agencies, local authorities and specialist partners around the United Kingdom.   

The Salvation Army is one of the largest homelessness charities operating in the UK, providing more than 3,000 places for people in Lifehouses (hostels) across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.