Wolverhampton Wanderers has been named the winner of football’s first ever Hobsons’ Hedgehog Cup, run by BHPS and sponsored by Hobsons Brewery.

The competition saw 47 clubs from the Hedgehog Friendly Football League drawn to ‘play’ each other in the cup, scoring points through hedgehog-friendly actions, with Northampton Town FC taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final tie.

Premiership giants Wolves pipped League One’s Cobblers at the post by just 19 points – making them the proud winners of the coveted Hobsons’ Hedgehog Cup trophy!

The final score was: Northampton Town : 101 v 120 : Wolverhampton Wanderers

In the six-week final the mighty Wolves promoted hedgehog-friendly tips on their big screens during matches, had players including Matheus Cunha, Joao Gomes and Nelson Semedo showing their support for hedgehogs, and their manager Gary O’Neil wearing a BHPS badge during a press conference.

Northampton Town shared photos and videos of players from Men’s, Women’s and Academy teams promoting the campaign, including Luke Mbete and Holly Mayfield, talked about #HogFriendlyFootball on the radio with BHPS CEO Fay Vass, and posted about the Cup final on the Cobblers’ website.

Fay Vass, Chief Executive at BHPS said: “Huge congratulations to Wolverhampton Wanderers for their amazing work in the final – a well-deserved win!

“Whilst there may not be many hedgehogs at the stadiums, there certainly will be in fans gardens and maybe at training grounds too, so getting the message out there about being mindful of wildlife when we do maintenance or gardening and how we can help hedgehogs thrive in our is vital.

“Both clubs in the Hobsons’ Hedgehog Cup final pulled out all the stops, and it was brilliant to see so many fans getting involved with hedgehog-friendly actions, such as leaving out fresh water for wildlife.

“We’d like to thank Northampton Town for their valiant efforts in getting so many of their players, staff and youth teams on board supporting hedgehogs.

“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 initiatives like the Hedgehog Cup and Hedgehog Friendly Football League helps us to make a real difference.”

Wolves’ campaign manager Ed Robinson said: “We are thrilled to have won the Hobsons Hedgehog Cup and to play our part in supporting wildlife conservation.

“Sustainability is of ever-growing importance to us at Wolves and, through our One Pack One Planet initiative, we’re proud to champion efforts that make a difference to the natural world.

“This campaign has been a fantastic opportunity to engage players, staff, and fans in protecting hedgehogs, while highlighting the importance of biodiversity. It’s been great fun tackling the tasks and scoring points along the way!

“Our commiserations to Northampton Town, who were on our tails throughout the campaign. This accolade is another little milestone in our journey to becoming a role model in sustainability across football.”

Kate Pearce, Commercial Director at Hobsons, said: “We’re so pleased to have sponsored the inaugural Hedgehog Cup – it’s been fantastic to see football clubs and fans doing something positive for hedgehog welfare and to helping protect our native wildlife.”

The Cup and its associated 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.

Find more information on point scoring activities and Cup Rules here