All week, you have been the one on the sidelines. Holding the water bottles, reapplying the suncream, cheering every touch of the ball. Then, one evening on every Football Escapes family football holiday, the roles reverse. The children take the seats. The parents take the pitch.
Welcome to the legendary Parents’ Match: the night mums and dads step onto the grass alongside the very footballers they grew up watching, and discover that football really is for everyone.
Part of the Team From Day One
Our Parents’ Match may be the headline, but parents are part of the action long before it. The very first session ends with a lively Parent and Legend versus Kids challenge: crossbar attempts, scoop challenges, foot golf and more, with mums and dads teaming up with the ambassador to take on the children. It is a brilliant icebreaker, and a reminder that everyone is here to have fun.
Throughout the week, daily parent challenges keep the laughter coming. Some are competitive, some are simply silly, and all of them get families talking at dinner.
A Very Different Kind of Nerves
There is a particular feeling in the air before the Parents’ Match. Some dads have been quietly stretching since lunch. Some mums have been asked, more than once, “Are you actually going to play?” Borrowed boots are laced up. Someone admits they have not kicked a ball since school.
And standing on the other side of the halfway line is a footballer you once watched on a Saturday afternoon. Over the years, parents have lined up alongside, and against, legends including Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Theo Walcott.
“Brilliantly, Joyously Pathetic”
Broadcaster Chris Evans travelled with his son Walt and nephew Teddy, and found himself facing Gary Cahill, former Chelsea and England defender, in the dads’ match. His description of the game is perhaps the most honest we have ever heard: “brilliantly, joyously pathetic.”
Then came the moment that sums the evening up. Gary found the back of the net, and as he jogged back past Chris, he grinned: “I don’t miss these.”
That is the spirit of the night. Nobody is there to prove anything. There are nutmegs from the pros and the occasional screamer from a parent who will be talking about it for years. Mostly, there is laughter.
Bragging Rights and a Trophy
Of course, there is still something to play for. Competitive spirits rise, and parents battle it out for the winning trophy and some very serious bragging rights at breakfast the next morning.
The children, meanwhile, become the loudest supporters you have ever heard. The commentary from the sidelines is merciless, and every misplaced pass is greeted with delight.
Why the Parents’ Match Makes a Family Football Holiday
Ask any child what they remember from their week, and the Parents’ Match is usually near the top of the list. There is something wonderful about watching your mum or dad out there, trying their hardest, falling over, getting back up and laughing about it.
As we often say, “it’s not about winning, it’s about stepping onto the pitch, laughing with your family, and showing the kids that football really is for everyone whatever your age, ability, or fitness level.”
It is a feeling shared by plenty of dads this summer. As one dad put it after his week at IKOS Odisia:
“Loved the coaches and the challenges and Joe was really kind to Kavi… I loved the dad’s match.”
After the Final Whistle
When the match is over, tired legs carry everyone to post match drinks with the ambassador, the coaches and the other families. Stories are swapped, the winning goal is replayed (with some exaggeration), and friendships that began at the pool become something more.
Chris summed up the whole week far better than we could:
“They did it with fun. They did it with energy. They did it with enthusiasm. They just got it all right.”
Your Turn Next?
In 2027, there will be plenty of chances to lace up your boots. Gary Cahill returns to coach at IKOS Porto Petro over May half term and at IKOS Kissamos in August. Rio Ferdinand heads to Siyam World at Easter, and Teddy Sheringham, Owen Hargreaves and many more are coaching across Greece, Spain and the Algarve.
Which means somewhere, a parent is already wondering whether they should start training now. Our advice? Pack the boots. You will not regret it.
