Excitement builds up as date and venue for Master Game 8 announced!
The world of football has been sent into frenzy as the Football Dads Club confirmed date and time for the 8th Master Game, the annual 11-side, Dads vs Kids life-or-death match that defines an entire season.
DATE AND TIME
The Master Game 8 will take place on Sunday 12th June at Wormwood Scrubs, in west London. Players will meet at 11am for warm-up and pre-match tactics. The game will kick-off at 12pm and will be followed by celebrations, post-match interviews and the traditional picnic.
As always, the match will be played in a regular 11-side grass pitch for 90 minutes. In case of draw, the two captains and the referee will decide whether the winner will be decided with penalty kicks or through a Golden Goal or else (but it’s worth noting that no Master Game has ever ended with a draw).
A LEGENDARY COMPETITION
The Master Game competition originated in 2015 as a way to settle once and for all whether Dads were better players than their Kids, an argument debated and challenged every Saturday. The first edition, played at the historic home ground at Holland Park, saw the Kids prevail 4-3 after a dramatic match. Since that evening, the only thing Dads could think of was how and when to change the narrative. Revenge arrived the following year, when Dads crushed Kids 6-3 and was further enhanced with a win in the 3rd edition, albeit with a tighter margin (4-3).
Over the years, however, Kids grew in confidence and skills. They prevailed 5-4 in the 4th edition (2018), played in the professional setting of the Linford Christie Stadium, thanks to a goal in injury time. Dads managed to win 2-1 the 5th edition (2019) at Wormwood Scrubs but succumbed miserably in 2020, an edition played exceptionally in September, due the pandemic (the score is so embarrassing that we would rather avoid to mention it). Last year edition, played in the exceptional setting of the Chelsea Training Center in Cobham, saw again a Kids victory for 4-2.
Kids arrive to the Master Game 8 as the leading champions and the team with most trophies (4 against 3 for the Dads). They will aim to get a record 3rd win in a row. For the Dads, the match on the 12th of June is a unique opportunity to restore parity, pride and order. The odds at stake are enormous.
Today, the Master Game is undoubtedly one the most eagerly awaited sport events of the year. A recent research conducted by the Imperial College has shown that the Master Game is more popular than the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race and the Wimbledon tennis tournament combined. For last year match, the Club’s media department received more than 5,000 requests for press accreditation, with news outlet coming from every corner of the world.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE MATCH
Every Dad and Kid that regularly attends the Saturdays’ matches is invited to play. To be included in the teams, each player needs to fill an online form (click here or go to bottom of page).
Fans and spectators are also invited to register using the same form. Knowing how many thousands of people attend will help the Events team organise the logistics.
TEAM COLOURS
Dads play in Blue. Kids in White. As simple as that.
HOW TO WATCH THE GAME
Despite multi-million bids from from broadcasters, the match will NOT be televised live. This is a conscious choice of the Club, that strives to preserves the intimacy of uniqueness of the events. There are however plans to record a match and make highlights available on the web in the following days (click here to watch the highlights from last year’s match).
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