Football’s first Hobsons’ Hedgehog Cup kicks off
Football fans across the UK are urged to support their clubs in the country’s first ever Hobsons’ Hedgehog Cup – run by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and sponsored by Hobsons Brewery.
The Hedgehog Cup will see the 47 clubs in the Hedgehog Friendly Football League drawn to ‘play’ each other – not to score goals on the pitch, but to score points by carrying out hedgehog-friendly actions.
The Round 1 draw took place on 27 February 2024, broadcast across BHPS’s social media platforms, featuring a special announcement from BHPS patron, Megan McCubbin.
Round 2 took place on 12 April 2024. The 33 clubs have been drawn at random to play against each other and now have six weeks to score points before Round 3 is drawn.
There will be six rounds in total, with the Hedgehog Cup final scheduled for Autumn 2024.
| Club A | Club B | |||
| Watford | v | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| Tonbridge Angels | v | York City | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | v | Derby County | ||
| Oxford United | v | Bristol Rovers | ||
| Bristol City | v | Everton | ||
| Stoke City | v | Newcastle United | ||
| AFC Bournemouth | v | Arsenal | ||
| QPR | v | Cheltenham Town | ||
| Tranmere Rovers | v | Wolves | ||
| Aston Villa | v | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| Burton Albion | v | Sutton United | ||
| Morecambe | v | Barnsley | ||
| Chelsea | v | Birmingham City | ||
| Sunderland | v | Doncaster Rovers | ||
| Northampton Town | v | Leicester City | ||
| Ipswich Town | v | Luton Town | v | Middlesborough |
Find more information on point scoring activities and Cup Rules using the link button below
The Cup is an opportunity for smaller clubs to take on Premier League giants in the battle to win a piece of silverware to show they care for wildlife and the environment!
Fay Vass, Chief Executive at BHPS said: “Whilst there may not be many hedgehogs at the stadiums, there certainly will be in fans gardens and maybe at training grounds too, so it’s vital we get the message out there about being mindful of wildlife when we do maintenance or gardening.
“This is the first ever Hobsons’ Hedgehog Cup, and we’re really excited to see all 48 clubs get stuck in and encourage their Men’s, Women’s and Academy teams to all get involved in scoring points.
“Hedgehog numbers are in serious decline and it’s more important than ever that we stand together to help protect their welfare and habitats –supporting the Cup and the Hedgehog Friendly Football League is a brilliant way to do just that.”
Charlie Farman, Marketing Manager for Hobsons Brewery, said: “We’re really excited to be sponsoring the inaugural Hedgehog Cup – it’s a fantastic way for football clubs and fans to do something positive for hedgehog welfare and to help protect our native wildlife.
“We’ve long been supporters of BHPS and its important conservation work around the UK and can’t wait to see football clubs across the country doing their bit to help hedgehogs!”
The Hedgehog Friendly Football League (HFFL) is designed to spread the word about hedgehog-safe groundskeeping, getting clubs to place ‘check for hedgehogs before using’ warning stickers on all their grounds maintenance machines, and encouraging fans to look after their own gardens and green spaces with hedgehogs in mind.
The clubs in the League have all pledged to do their bit for wildlife, climbing the league table as they hand out leaflets, feature the campaign in matchday programmes and spread the word amongst fans.
Any clubs wishing to join the League should email info@britishhedgehogs.org.uk for details.
