In total, the Foundation hosted 10 different pitch events which included participants from the Premier League Kicks and Premier League Primary Stars programme, Goal Getters, walking football, disability football, Chelsea Champions schools, NHS staff, post-16 football programme and degree programme participants.

Over 60 young people from four schools on the PL Primary Stars programme took part in the pitch event also, with a variety of activities taking place centring around the four Primary Stars values (Be Ambitious, Be Connected, Be Fair and Be Inspiring).

One participant said: ‘Playing on the actual pitch at Chelsea with my friends and team-mates has been like a dream come true for me, I did not realise that the pitch was so big!’

Overall, more than 1,000 Foundation participants took part in activities on the pitch which included training sessions and tournaments on the famous Stamford Bridge turf. Former Blues players Katie Chapman and Gary Chivers were also on hand to participate and get involved with a number of the groups.

Callum Salhotra, senior youth inclusion officer at Chelsea Foundation, said: ‘To be able to give young people within the community to play on the pitch was an amazing experience.

‘Chelsea players are their role models, so the opportunity for them to play on the same pitch was fantastic. All young people who attended represented themselves and their communities brilliantly and showed the importance of these sort of programmes for young people.’

Chelsea Foundation’s Ellie Lock added: ‘Seeing nearly 60 of our walking footballers get the opportunity to play at Stamford Bridge, as lifelong Chelsea FC fans was honestly a delight.

‘Walking out of the tunnel to the liquidator was a favourite moment for many participants who attended. It was a fantastic event and a great experience for all involved. Lastly, having Gary Chivers playing with all the participants was a great extra, allowing the players to play on the same team as one of their heroes.’

One walking footballer, Kay, aged 70, said: ‘Last time I was at Stamford Bridge was back in the seventies. As a female, I didn’t even expect to play football, let alone play at Stamford Bridge nearly 50 years later!’