Foundation hosts Premier League Kicks Cup regional qualifiers 2025

Bradford City FC Community Foundation welcomed over 200 young people, forming 25 teams, from across the region to Bradford on Monday 7th April, as they hosted the regional qualifiers for the Premier League Kicks Cup.

Image: Max Lomas.

Teams from across Yorkshire and the North East took part in the tournament, and the Foundation entered its own teams, representing the Bantams and donning the iconic claret and amber, formed of participants from its Premier League Kicks sessions.

Image: Max Lomas.

The qualifiers took place at Wyke Community Sports Village, a multi-use sports facility in Bradford South, and was attended by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, who delivered a workshop for attendees; HMP-Not-4-Me, who provided an interactive educational workshop focused on the realities of prison life and criminal behaviour; Yorkshire Ambulance Service; BCAFC players Zac Hadi, Harry Ibbitson and Gabe Wadsworth, who conducted a Q&A with the attendees and joined in a kickabout, and many of the Foundation’s partners from West Yorkshire Police and their Early Action Team.

Darrel Walker, the Foundation’s Premier League Kicks Coordinator and Youth Worker, said: “We hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic day in Bradford at the Premier League Kicks Cup - seeing over 200 attendees participating, playing the beautiful game, and engaging in our workshops was the culmination of years of work in the communities of all who attended. We were proud to welcome such a breadth of people from across Yorkshire and the North East, and I’d like to thank our Foundation staff, delivery partners, our fellow Kicks leaders from other CCOs, and everyone else who made the day possible.”

Image: Max Lomas.

Newcastle United were the big winners on the day, as their mixed and girls’ teams won both of their respective competitions - with both games going down to penalties. Runners-up from Sheffield Wednesday (mixed) and Sheffield United (girls) were presented with runners-up trophies, and the mixed and girls’ Fair Play awards, recognising the teams which played their games in the best spirit and with the fewest fouls committed, were both won by Leeds United.

Image: Max Lomas.

The Premier League trophy was also in attendance, with all players from the 25 different teams invited to see it, take photos and ask questions of the Premier League staff who accompanied it.

Click through our gallery of photo highlights from the day:

Highlights from the Premier League Kicks Cup Regional Qualifiers 2025. Images: Max Lomas.

Nine regional tournaments are being staged at community facilities across the country, with hundreds of young people representing Premier League, EFL and National League clubs, hoping to win the opportunity to represent their club in the Premier League Kicks Cup 2025 finals at St George’s Park in July.

Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are the current Premier League Kicks Cup champions, having won the Under-16 mixed and Under-16 girls’ tournaments respectively in 2024.

The Premier League Kicks Cup tournament is one of the competition elements of Premier League Kicks. The programme uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential, in some of the most high-need areas of England and Wales. 

Premier League Charitable Fund Chief Executive, Ruth Shaw OBE, said: “Premier League Kicks gives young people the opportunity to access free football in their local community.

“Over 1,400 young people from 93 professional football club community organisations will take part in the regional tournaments, where they will enjoy competitive football and make friends along the way. They will also have the chance to engage in activities that will help them develop on and off the pitch.”

In addition to providing young people with access to free football and sports activities, professional football club community organisations (CCOs) also provide additional year-round support through Premier League Kicks. 

This includes offering mentoring, life-skills advice and access to opportunities such as volunteering and social action to help aid personal development. 

Premier League Kicks began in 2006. Since then, more than 550,000 young people have participated in Premier League Kicks football and multi-sport sessions delivered by 93 Premier League, English Football League and National League sides. More than one million hours of sessions have been delivered across England and Wales.  

To date, the Premier League has invested more than £91.7 million in Premier League Kicks through the Premier League Charitable Fund.

Visit premierleague.com for more information.