A celebrity football match is set to take place on April 29 at Rovers’ Memorial Stadium, aiming to improve men’s mental health and emotional awareness. Gavin Thorpe, who organized the event with Talk Club, said that sometimes we struggle to talk about feelings. It pits 11 players from each side, including Bristol’s Rovers and City clubs’ legends, former Bristol mayor Marvin Rees and actor Joe Sims. Thorpe hopes to make this match an annual event, raising awareness for mental health resources with the help of the sport’s uniting ability.
The campaign gives participants the freedom to be angry, sad or anything else. Then on a scale of one to ten, they score that visibility in terms of how it makes them feel. Thorpe told us that this seemingly simple interaction is designed to create emotional engagement and empathy as participants learn from each other. He aimed to clear the air by underscoring how many participants were actually involved. He mentioned, “That’s 11 guys on a football team, each side, plus the referees. That point of view is really amazing! That’s one of the reasons we’re doing it—we actually have the ability to affect real change.”
Marvin Rees, one of the participants in the musical chairs match, pointed to the special role that the sports world can play in building community. He remarked, “Sport can reach people in ways that many other forms of communication and outreach can’t.” Rees noted the importance of both clubs in addressing various community issues, stating, “It’s fantastic to see the two clubs stepping up. Rovers and City have been really important in the city for a long time on a number of issues.”
With this in mind, the event strives to make a friendly and welcoming experience for all participants and spectators. It uses the power of football to raise awareness around mental health. Thorpe expressed his hopes for the match, saying, “This is the first of many. We’re hoping to have the return match at Ashton Gate next year, and hopefully it can keep going every year.”
Thorpe to open up the Bristol rivalry concept to other huge matchups. He aspires to bring back the passion of derbies such as Liverpool with Everton and various rivalries among Sheffield’s clubs. He knows that these events can be highly visible launching pads for their mental health advocacy.
The partnership with Talk Club features a powerful mural of an American football player. Perhaps most importantly, it shines a light on the critical importance of supporting mental health conversations in sports circles. The campaign seeks to involve athletes—both active professionals and retired Olympians—in important discussions about mental health. Its purpose is to shatter the stigmas imposed on mental health.
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