In a move that’s turning heads and warming up hamstrings, the NHS is officially prescribing football – yes, actual football matches – as part of a growing initiative to improve people’s physical and mental health.
The programme, launched in partnership with local football clubs and community health organisations, is aimed at patients struggling with conditions such as anxiety, depression, and social isolation.
Developed by Labour MP Dr Simon Opher, patients at surgeries across Gloucestershire will be given the opportunity to attend games at National League side Forest Green Rovers for free. The initiative was designed to foster community connection and reduce the reliance on antidepressants. Opher’s previous non-traditional prescriptions include gardening and comedy shows, but this particular intervention taps into the power of sport.
“Football is about socialising and roaring on your team… getting excited… living through something else,” says Simon Opher, describing the socially isolating effects of modern life and the sense of belonging that attending matches can provide.
Over 89 million antidepressant prescriptions were issued across the UK in 2023-24. This highlights the urgent need for new approaches in managing mental health. And it looks like spectator sport could be the solution.
Rather than a prescription bottle, some patients are now receiving football boots and a schedule of weekly kickabout ticket
While it might sound like a pub joke, “Doctor told me to go watch Forest Green Rovers” – there’s genuine science behind the idea that watching sport can have tangible benefits. Spectator sports can create a sense of belonging, boost mood, and even release dopamine – the same feel-good chemical involved in exercise and social bonding. Cheering alongside thousands of fans, chanting in unison, and riding the emotional rollercoaster of a 90-minute match can be good for the soul.
Research has also shown that following a sports team helps people feel connected to something bigger than themselves a sense of identity, ritual, and shared narrative. For individuals dealing with loneliness, depression, or low motivation, becoming part of a fan community offers structure, social interaction, and even something as simple as a reason to leave the house on the weekend!
Still, not everyone is cheering from the stands. Critics argue that while prescribing football tickets might be clever PR, it’s a questionable use of limited NHS resources. When people are stuck on waiting lists for months and mental health services are stretched thinner than VAR justifications, is football really the fix we need?
It’s hard to ignore the irony: in a system battling chronic underfunding, some patients are being handed matchday tickets, while others can’t get a therapist. Perhaps we should sort the funding mid-field before we send everyone out to play.