In an innovative move to combat depression, GPs in Gloucestershire are set to prescribe live football matches instead of traditional medication, as part of a pioneering mental health initiative.

The pilot scheme, designed by Labour MP and former GP Dr Simon Opher in collaboration with Ecotricity founder and Forest Green Rovers owner Dale Vince, aims to offer an alternative approach to treating mild to moderate depression through social prescribing.

Patients from a dozen GP practices near Forest Green Rovers’ New Lawn stadium in Nailsworth will soon be eligible to receive match-day tickets as part of their treatment plans. The idea is to harness the power of community, excitement, and shared experience that live sport provides.

Dr Opher, who represents Stroud, says the project is a response to the growing crisis of social isolation—something he believes is deeply harmful to mental wellbeing.

“There’s something special about watching football that brings people together,” Dr Opher said. “One of the biggest issues we face in society is loneliness. It’s a health risk equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes a day.”

He added: “Modern life, with its social media bubbles and declining public spaces, has left many people cut off. This is about reconnecting them. Football isn’t for everyone, but it offers passion, community, and a chance to forget your worries—even for 90 minutes.”

Dale Vince, who has owned Forest Green Rovers since 2010, is backing the trial wholeheartedly, continuing the club’s track record of innovation in both sport and social impact.

The trial forms part of a broader strategy to rethink how mental health is treated within the NHS, placing greater emphasis on social activities that can promote connection, purpose, and joy.

If successful, the scheme could provide a model for similar community-based interventions across the UK.