The United for All Charity Match returns!
First time ever to be held at...
Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane!
ABOUT
That’s right. After a one year break, the United for All Charity Match returns on Saturday 25th May and we’re excited that for the first time ever it will be held at Bramall Lane.
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To have the opportunity to move this event to the next level and hold it at a professional football ground is a huge moment. Sheffield United have always been very supportive of Rainbow Blades and this is another example of that.
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The teams will be mixed gender & consist of Rainbow Blades and Allies, and the match will last a full 90 minutes! Think Soccer Aid, but BDTBL version… for some of our players, it will be their first time on a full size pitch.
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The charity match is open to spectators. The club will have the South Stand open.
GET INVOLVED
Spectators
United for All Charity Match 2024
Sheffield United v Rainbow Blades
Join Rainbow Blades for their United for All charity match, held this year at Bramall Lane for the first time. Come down to the Lane and support your fellow Blades as together we raise funds for an important cause - our community foundation’s Empower LGBTQ+ project.
The United for All Charity Match will be on Saturday 25th May with a 12 noon kick off.
The teams will be mixed gender & consist of Rainbow Blades and Allies, and the match will last a full 90 minutes! Think Soccer Aid, but BDTBL version… for some of our players, it will be their first time on a full size pitch, so bring down your chants and keep them going.
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We can’t wait for the big day. Here’s everything you need to know:
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- Supporters are welcome to arrive from 10.30am and kick off is at 12 noon
- Trophy/medal presentations will conclude around 2pm
- Food/beverage kiosks will not be open for this match, so you are welcome to bring your own refreshments into the stadium
- Please enter through turnstiles 68-73 on Cherry Street
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We look forward to seeing you at the Lane very soon… don’t forget to wear your Sheffield United or Rainbow Blades merch with pride!
Tickets for this game are advance purchase ONLY.
Players
WHO CAN PLAY
This match is open to everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation and footballing ability. 16+
TICKETS
The cost to take part is £50 per player. This includes a personalised football shirt to wear and keep, and the chance to experience Bramall Lane as a player - from using the Player's Entrance and Dressing Rooms to playing on the iconic BDTBL turf.
THE MATCH
The match is 11-a-side, 45 minutes per half and if required, will go to penalties. Rolling subs will be used to ensure even game time, and there must always be 3 female/non-binary players on the pitch for each team at a time. FA qualified Referees and Linespeople will be officiating the match. The purpose of the match is to raise funds for an important project, should be fun for everyone involved and should be played in the right spirit.
THE TEAMS
The game will be played as Rainbow Blades vs Sheffield United, and your teams will be assigned when sign up closes, to ensure balance.
CHARITY
As well as raising awareness for LGBTQ+ inclusion in football we are also raising funds for Sheffield United Community Foundation, Empower LGBTQ+ programme.
SCHEDULE
Saturday 25 May 2024
10.30am – Players arrive
10.30am – Spectators arrive
11.55am – Players' pitch entrance
12pm – Kick Off
1.45pm - Full Time (or Penalties if required)
2pm - Trophy Presentation
Please ensure you read the confirmation page as you will need to pay to secure your spot.
Press release
Rainbow Blades is set to hold its United for All Charity Match later this month, at beautiful downtown Bramall Lane for the first time. The fixture is in aid of Sheffield United Community Foundation’s Empower LGBT+ project.
Rainbow Blades is a friendly, welcoming and inclusive fan group for LGBTQ+ people and allies. ​We're working to make Bramall Lane, and the footballing world, a safe space for all – a place where everyone can be their authentic self.
Our matchday teams are made up of Rainbow Blades members and our allies. There will be a mix of genders, sexualities & football abilities, all united by one goal - to stamp out LGBT+ discrimination. Everyone is invited to be part of this special fixture - bring down your chants and keep the players going. Tickets cost just £6 and must be purchased online in advance. All proceeds will go to Sheffield United Community Foundation’s Empower LGBT+ project.
On the day, turnstiles will open at 10.30am, and the players’ warm up will begin at 11am. Kick off is at 12 noon, and medal presentations will be made just before 2pm, before the teams and spectators head to Rainbow Blades’ Official Venue, Lykke.
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Rainbow Blades Charity Match at the Olympic Legacy Park in 2022
Sheffield United Community Foundation’s Empower LGBT+ project aims to enable the LGBT+ community to be more active and feel stronger and more confident in their ability to succeed in sport and physical activity, whilst decreasing LGBT+ discrimination and help LGBT+ people feel they belong in the Steel City.
Rainbow Blades is grateful to Sheffield United FC for its continued support of the group, and in particular for use of Bramall Lane for this game. We are also thankful for the support of many sponsors and partners, without whom the match would not be possible, notably matchday sponsors Fans for Diversity, Prominent and Dice.
James Laley, Founder and Chair of Rainbow Blades “We’re over the moon to be hosting our Charity Match at Bramall Lane for the first time. To have the opportunity to move this event to the next level and hold it at a professional football ground is a huge moment. It's such an important initiative that the community foundation is running, and we wanted to play our part to make sure the programme can continue through next season and beyond. I’m proud because we are giving opportunities to LGBTQ+ members to play at Bramall Lane but also our Allies, plus spectators who might be stepping foot in a professional stadium for the first time. I look forward to welcoming fans to the Lane later this month.”
Amy Hood, Sheffield United Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager "As part of our ongoing commitment to EDI and more specifically, LGBTQ+ inclusion, we are incredibly proud and excited to be welcoming Rainbow Blades to Bramall Lane for their 11-a-side Charity Football Match. This is the first time the event will be held here, and having had a part in the previous one at a different venue, I am personally so privileged to be able to assist with this event once again. We want to carry on using football to increase LGBTQ+ visibility and promote Allyship, using our Professional platform for good, and hopefully this event will do that."
Ellie Wilson, Sheffield United Community Foundation Empower LGBT+ Lead “All of us at the Community Foundation are delighted to be partnering with Rainbow Blades for the annual charity match. To be holding this game at Bramall Lane is a brilliant marker of how far we have come as a club and as a collective in celebrating diversity across our community.
In previous years, this event has been a great celebration of our LGBT+ community and has proven to be a really fun day, so we are looking forward to making some more memories, but this time a BDTBL!"
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Nilesh Chauhan, Fans for Diversity Campaign Manager "We are proud to support the Rainbow Blades' United for All Charity Match at Bramall Lane. Together, we champion Sheffield United Community Foundation’s Empower LGBT+ project, celebrating inclusion and equality with every step on the field. It's amazing to see how fan-led projects like this can make a difference in the game."
Jake Hoffgen, Rainbow Blades member & player "The United for All charity match is brilliant for representing and empowering the LGBTQ community! This charity match is ticking off a childhood dream to play on the same pitch as heroes like Billy Sharp and Paddy Kenny, it’s an amazing feeling and I'm so happy to be a part of this amazing event!"
Adam Follett, Rainbow Blades member & player “I'm really looking forward to being able to play on the hallowed turf at Bramall Lane on the 25th - it's not every day one gets the opportunity to play on a pitch where so many amazing memories have been made for so many people. More importantly, Rainbow Blades do an incredible job for the LGBTQ+ community at the club, and events like these are vital to raise awareness and funds for the cause, and for the community and allies alike to come together and have a kick-about is a really powerful message in the importance of diversity, equality and acceptance at Sheffield United and society at large.”
Join us at Bramall Lane on 25 May. Together, we can truly make United for All.
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