England Transplant Football Club Host Football Festival at the England Team’s Official Home, St Georges Park

The first ever England Transplant Football Club (ETFC) Festival took place on Saturday 4th March 2023 at St Georges Park, the official home of the England Lions and Lionesses, a free event for all transplant recipients aged 11-60+, supported by National Kidney Federation (NKF) a charity run by kidney patients, for kidney patients.

The event was an opportunity for transplant players of all ages to come together and try transplant football and walking football for the first time. The event also launched the club’s new ETFC football main kit, sponsored by the National Kidney Federation. The two year sponsorship will benefit the Men’s and Women’s Senior football teams which enables the club to provide more provisions, and create more opportunities to play transplant football regionally and internationally.

The England Transplant Football Club was founded in 2022 by Stevie Woodrow. A kidney transplant survivor himself, he wanted to create opportunities for organ transplant recipients of all ages including kids, teenagers and adults to be able to integrate back into the community after the gift of life.

The club consists of volunteers from the transplant community, either organ recipients or transplant medical physicians. Including a professional coaching team from English Premier League or English Football League clubs. All with the same focus to grow the transplant football game and create more opportunities for patients to get back into the country’s biggest sport.

There was an England Transplant Senior Camp that took place at the event with over 40 players registered to try out for the new Men and Women’s Senior teams. As well as finding out how they can get involved in a local club to play more regularly. For the Women over 40 and Men over 50’s, ETFC partnered with the Walking Football Association (WFA). The WFA England Over 60’s Manager Stuart Langworthy and team also showcased walking football.

ETFC Founder Stevie Woodrow said “The SGP 2023 Transplant Football Festival was more than we could of hoped for and was a special day. It was a dream come true for me to see organ transplant recipients of all ages and genders come together to play transplant football in an amazing venue. I'd like to thank Andrea Brown and Pete Revell from the NKF for attending and for their continued support on this journey. To grow the game regionally and nationally for all organ and stem cell transplant recipients 11-60+.”

Chief Executive, Andrea Brown from National Kidney Federation said; “The NKF are proud to work alongside the England Transplant Football Association and to provide a two-year sponsorship deal, this will enable men and women to be more inclusive within transplant football.The NKF supports over an estimated 3.5 million kidney patients in the UK with their patient support services and we are delighted to be working with ETFC to continue promoting transplant sport.”

Pictured with the brand new kit: NKF Chief Executive, Andrea Brown and ETFC Founder, Stevie Woodrow at St George’s Park.

For more information on England Transplant Club visit: https://transplantfootball.com/

For more information on the National Kidney Federation visit: www.kidney.org.uk