Football legend Sam Allardyce is making a spectacular return to the touchline, and it could be with your local Sunday League team. The former England manager has launched an extraordinary competition that will see him take charge of an amateur side for a full day.
How to Win Big Sam for Your Team
The ex-England manager and Premier League veteran has joined forces with the Every Minute Matters campaign to offer his unique services to one lucky grassroots team. This marks a sensational homecoming for Big Sam, who boasts experience from over a thousand professional matches.
The winning team will receive the full Allardyce treatment. The former Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham, Sunderland and Everton boss will handle team selection, implement match tactics, and deliver his famous team talks before the game, at half-time, and after the final whistle.
The Life-Saving Mission Behind the Competition
This exciting opportunity forms part of a crucial initiative by Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to raise awareness about life-saving CPR techniques within grassroots football. The pioneering Every Minute Matters campaign, supported by the English Football League, has already inspired over 350,000 people to begin learning CPR since its launch in May 2024.
Allardyce revealed his personal motivation stems from witnessing Fabrice Muamba's cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match in 2012. "I can still vividly remember what happened to Fabrice a couple of years after I left Bolton," Allardyce explained. "Thanks to immediate CPR and defibrillation, Fabrice made a full recovery."
He emphasised the critical need for CPR knowledge in amateur football: "Most grassroots football teams don't have a medical team on site, which is why it's critical anyone who plays amateur football – at any level – knows how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator."
How to Enter and Competition Details
To enter this once-in-a-lifetime competition, participants must provide their:
- Full name
- Contact details
- Team name
- League information
The competition closes at 12pm on December 1, 2025, with the winner being drawn the same day. The legendary manager will take charge of a match between January 1 and April 30, 2026.
Eligibility extends to adult over-18s men's or women's 11-a-side teams, with walking football sides also encouraged to enter. Allardyce urges everyone involved in grassroots football to take advantage of the BHF's free online training tool, RevivR, which takes just 15 minutes to complete.
"Too many people still think you have to be a medical professional to step in, but that's simply not true," Allardyce stated. "Anyone can learn these lifesaving skills and if someone collapses, you need to have the confidence to act. And that confidence comes from training."
