Football match to highlight homelessness crisis

Comedians are to take on a team of clients of homelessness charities in a football match on Monday.

Des Clarke, pictured, will captain the comics’ team comprising Ray Bradshaw, Ryan Cullen, Larry Dean, Liam Farrelly, Chris Forbes, Kai Humphries, Mark Nelson, Tom Stade and Gavin Webster with Emmanuel Sonubi and Gareth Mutch in goal. Meanwhile, Robin Grainger has a special role as mascot, alongside Waffle the dog.

Bruce Devlin and Susie McCabe will provide commentary at the invitation-only event at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium.

They will take on a team of players who have been helped by Street Soccer and Simon Community Scotland.

It kicks off a day of events in the Scottish capital as part of the ‘comedy-on-prescription’ initiative, which uses stand-up to help with social crises.

The day also includes a private workshop and a gig that’s open to the public at Norton Park Conference Centre. There Jay Lafferty and JoJo Sutherland will perform stand-up followed by a screening of the film version of Irving Welsh’s Filth (Tickets)

Monday’s events are a taster for a nationwide Comedians Vs. Homelessness event on October 8 in which clubs and theatres will host fundraising events.

Sutherland, one of the founders of the Comedy Army collective behind the events, said: ‘Every comedian I know is well aware of the therapeutic power of comedy –  that’s why we are comedians. 

‘Comedians Vs. Homelessness isn’t a charity gig with line-ups thrown together to grab headlines: it’s comedians from across the spectrum coming home to the circuit for one cause: to stand up for some of the most vulnerable in society, to help them stand up for themselves.’

Published: 13 Aug 2025