#TeamNorthMid take to the pitch against Whittington Health at Spurs Stadium
- The Club and AIA have donated use of the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to two local hospitals for a staff football match on Monday 24 May
- Mixed teams from North Middlesex University Hospital and Whittington Hospital will take part as the Club and its sponsor give thanks to NHS heroes
- Both hospitals have received support from the Club and its partners during the pandemic, with North Mid delivering vital services at the stadium throughout
- Players will take to the pitch wearing Tottenham Hotspur shirts, with Club legends Gary Mabbutt and Ossie Ardiles to manage the teams
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You can follow commentary of the match live on social media from 2.30pm where we will be doing live reporting, interviews with some of our players and post-match analysis.
North Middlesex University Hospital and Whittington Hospital have been invited by Tottenham Hotspur and its Global Principal Partner, AIA to participate in a friendly match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The donation of the pitch is the Club and AIA’s way of thanking local NHS heroes that have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic.
The teams will be managed by Club legends, Gary Mabbutt and Ossie Ardiles, and receive warm-up drills led by members of the Club’s Global Coaching team that work across a Player Development Programme delivered in partnership with AIA in Asia.
More than 50 people at North Mid put themselves forward to be part of the North Mid team of which 22 were put forward to win the cup. Mixed teams representing North Mid and Whittington Health will take to the pitch wearing Tottenham Hotspur shirts.
Both hospitals have received support from the Club and its partners during the pandemic, with North Mid hosting vital services at the stadium throughout.
In April last year, the hospital moved its Women’s Outpatient Services to the stadium to support the redirection of pregnant women away from the hospital during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Over 41,500 appointments were delivered at the stadium up until the end of July that year, with drive-through COVID-19 testing taking place in the stadium’s basement car park for hospital staff and their families until February 2021.
The Club also donated £100,000 of ring-fenced player fine monies to support the hospital’s ‘Thank You’ initiative for staff, as well as hosting its Virtual Staff Awards at the stadium in March.
Throughout the pandemic, heroic staff at both hospitals have received gifts and products from Club partners and suppliers, including Cadbury, Monster Energy, Smartfish and HP, to support their work and keep spirits high.
Last week, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg made a video call to staff on S2 Ward at North Mid to celebrate International Nurses Day.
Dr Andy Heeps, Interim Chief Executive, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, said:
“The Club has supported us and the local community in many ways throughout the pandemic and we’re pleased to have now been given this fantastic opportunity.
“Following an incredibly tough year, the chance for some of our staff to play within the iconic grounds of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and be managed by a football legend will provide them with a well-deserved break.
“We look forward to seeing our friends from the Whittington on the pitch!”
Daniel Levy, Chairman, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “It is fitting that the final action we see on the pitch before fans return in greater numbers next season should be a tribute to those that have helped so many of us through this incredibly challenging time.
“The staff at our local hospitals are true heroes who we owe a great deal to and the Club and AIA are honoured to provide this special opportunity as a ‘thank you’ for their hard work throughout the pandemic.
“We hope that all involved enjoy their day – I would say ‘may the best team win’ but both teams are winners regardless of the result.”
Adrian New, Director of Football Initiatives, AIA Group, said: “AIA is proud to be the Principal Partner of Tottenham Hotspur and to recognise the wonderful work that the Club, North Middlesex Hospital and Whittington Hospital have done in their communities to combat the impact of Covid-19.”
Kevin Curnow, Director of Finance (and Team Captain!), Whittington Health said: “ Team Whittington Health has had a tough season this year and the players and everyone here are looking forward to ending the season on high. We work amazingly well with our colleagues at North Middlesex but the gloves (surgical) are coming off for this encounter!
“The dedication from all members of the squad has been inspirational in the last week. The team have been in training all week, swapping bedpans for bleep tests and stethoscopes for shinpads. I am extremely proud of them. We are counting down the minutes until kick off.”