Students relish opportunity to ‘play on the pitch’ at the London Stadium

Two Teesside University London students and a staff member recently played in a tournament at the London Stadium.

Marcello Gold and Ryley Griffiths, both second year undergraduate computing students at Teesside University London, were joined by Ezra Somoye, a Student Operations Assistants, as TU London representatives.

The trio were invited to take part in the event as Teesside University London is among associate partners of the venue, which has hosted many sporting events, including the Olympic Games in 2012 and Premier League football matches.

They joined a team which combined representatives from other businesses, with Ryley was the team goalkeeper, making some impressive saves throughout the tournament.

The team won their first match 2-1, including the first goal from Ezra, who relished the opportunity to get his football boots back on, having been a skilled player in his youth.

Ezra said: “It was a truly wonderful experience, it was lovely meeting and interacting with new people, and having the opportunity to play in such a great stadium felt like a dream come true."

They went on to win another match and narrowly lost three, just missing out on a place in the semi-finals.

Marcello said: "Play on the Pitch was outstanding. Having the opportunity to play at the London Stadium was truly special, and meeting and playing alongside people from a range of different organisations ensured the event was enjoyable and rewarding throughout.”

---