On Monday, Motspur Park hosted the Premier League Inspires London Tournament. This special event welcomed participants from six club charity organisations: Fulham, Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, QPR and Charlton. It was a day dedicated to fun, inclusivity and celebrating the Premier League values.
A celebration of togetherness and fun
The tournament was designed to provide a welcoming and pressure-free environment for everyone, regardless of their football experience. It wasn’t about intense competition but about bringing young people together, encouraging them to try something new and having fun on the pitch.
Separate tournaments for boys and girls ran simultaneously, ensuring everyone had a chance to shine. The event was filled with memorable moments, with teams demonstrating the core PL values: Be Connected, Be Ambitious, Be Inspiring, and Be Fair - whether they won, lost or drew their matches.
"The event inspired everyone who was able to take part, it was really fun and to be able to play other participants from different clubs was a very cool experience. I would definitely like to take part again," – Janet, Participant from Fulham FC Foundation's partner school.
Special highlights of the day
The tournament wasn’t just about football. Participants got the chance to share their thoughts on the PL Inspires programme through a youth forum activity. This gave the young people a platform to express their ideas, reflect on their experiences, and help shape the initiative's future.
In support of Children’s Mental Health Week, which takes place between the 3rd and 9th of February, and is themed on children getting to ‘Know themselves and grow themselves,' our PL Inspires team also spoke to teams about how they can build resilience, embrace self-awareness and form strong connections with others.
Another highlight was the CCO (Club Community Organisation) challenge, which added a fun twist to the day, pitting adult representatives from each organisation against each other in a classic crossbar challenge.
Celebrating success
Fulham Under-18s duo Quinn Schutter and Ruban Khan attended the final games of the tournament. They also presented medals to players and handed out the prestigious PL Values awards. These awards recognised some of the individuals and teams that exemplified the spirit of the day by embracing sportsmanship, inclusivity, and positivity.
“I really enjoyed seeing what it’s like and what Fulham put on for the different communities and I really enjoyed helping present the awards and making their day better,”- Ruban Khan.
Premier League Inspires is a personal development programme, funded by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) through the Premier League Charitable Fund.
The programme uses the power of football to inspire young people aged 11-18 to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.
To find out more about Fulham’s Premier League Inspires programme, please get in touch with us at schools@fulhamfc.com
