Premier League urged to back football on prescription to tackle depression and mental health

A pilot scheme offering live football to support mental health has been praised, prompting calls from the green energy tycoon behind the project for the Premier League and Football League to get behind it.

Over the past year, GPs have recommended live matches for patients suffering from mild to moderate depression and other less severe conditions under the "Football on Prescription" initiative.

Launched in August 2025 at fifth-tier Gloucestershire club Forest Green Rovers, the scheme is supported by Labour MP and GP Simon Opher (Stroud) and Dale Vince, the Ecotricity founder who owns the side.

Participants were invited to attend the team’s fixture against Hartlepool on Saturday, a match aligned with World Mental Health Day.

The initiative forms part of a wider move led by Dr Opher, who has pioneered social prescribing over antidepressants for individuals with mild or moderate depression.

Concerned about over-prescribing medication, he has previously prescribed both comedy and gardening as alternative treatments.

Patients receive complimentary match tickets and are met by regular fans prior to the kick-off.

In its most recent figures, the NHS said 9.1 million patients were prescribed drugs in 2025/2026. This is an increase of 3.1 per cent.

Women made up more than two-fifths of those prescribed the drugs. The figure rises to 71 per cent for those aged between 15-19.

One of the people to take part is Sarah Bartlett, a teacher who also cares for her 89-year-old mother – who has multiple sclerosis and is recovering from cancer.

She said: “I was feeling rather overwhelmed, lonely and at the end of my tether. I love my mum dearly, but it can be really, really taxing.

“I wasn’t really aware of a lot to help people who were in my position in the area, and I went to my doctor in desperation and said: ‘I can’t cope, I don’t know what to do, I don’t know how I’m going to keep looking after my Mum.’”

Ms Bartlett was offered nature, art or talking therapy with other carers, but the Liverpool fan jumped at the chance to be able to go and watch Forest Green with her son.

Ms Bartlett added: “It was just enough of a lift to really make a difference, and it did make me feel that actually I can still do some things while I’m effectively still looking after mum.

“It was nice to be able to spend some time together with my son, to see different faces and chat to different people, a change of scenery, feel something a little bit more than you know your day-to-day, pedestrian stuff.”

“It breaks the routine, and it felt like much more than a few hours away.”

Dozens have taken part since the start of last season. Dr Opher said it was being put on “repeat prescription” as the partnership has been renewed.

He said: “As a GP for 30 years, I have witnessed first-hand the impact that effective social prescribing can have on improving mental health and overall wellbeing.

“I’m really pleased that participant testimonials from last season were so positive, and I’m confident we can take the learning from the pilot forward into this new season and continue to deliver meaningful outcomes for participants.”

“For the first scheme of its kind in the world, it’s a good start and we are hoping this year to build on this.

“Often these ideas in the NHS take a few years to get embedded and I’m grateful to Forest Green for supporting over 50 GPs and social prescribers together with mental health workers who can refer patients to football on prescription.”

Mr Vince praised the impact football has on his own mood. He bought the club in 2010 and has since turned them into the world’s first vegan, and carbon-neutral football club.

“Winning is a wonderful feeling. Playing well is a great feeling,” he said.

“You have all the emotions, it’s like watching a pantomime, when you get players behaving badly, the referee making an odd decision, and the crowd behave like it’s a pantomime. It’s such fun, honestly. Win, lose or draw, I love the game.”

Both Ms Bartlett and the organisers called for it to be widened to the Football League and Premier League.

The Premier League’s Together Against Suicide initiative was launched in 2025, and says it aims to reduce the stigma around mental health conditions and provide support.

However, the league did not say whether it would introduce the “football on prescription” scheme.

The Football League pointed towards a series of schemes it already runs, including Creative Minds and said a number of clubs put on activities through community foundations.

Ms Bartlett said: “Mental health is such an issue. I see it in school; I see it everyday in the news and social media.

“A member of my own family took his own life, so we’re really aware of the stigma behind it, but just to be able to go out, and take your mind off things just for a little while, or have a change of scenery, enjoy something, even if you’re not into football necessarily.”

Mr Vince said: “Why can’t we roll this out across all the top leagues of English football? Football was created out of community, football clubs sprang up as community ventures. It wouldn’t cost a lot for every club to offer a few tickets.”

Dr Opher said: “With male mental health and suicide still a major health concern, schemes like these should be rolled out through the lower league league clubs that tend to be at the heart of their community.”