About The Lovesport Group

The Lovesport Group started life in 1994, as Cup Promotions, with the first Music Industry Soccer Six. CEO Mark Abery`s contacts in music and sport helped him put the tournament together at the Mile End Stadium in East London with the likes of Reef, Gene, Shed 7, Pulp, Blur, and Dodgy taking part.

As Soccer Six grew and names like Oasis, Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart, Ant n Dec, and legends like George Best, Kenny Dalglish, Peter Beardsley and many more were added to the list of participants, Soccer Six moved from Mile End to grounds around the country and became a twice yearly event, including Stamford Bridge, Anfield, Goodison Park, the Madjeski, Elland Road, Villa Park and Upton Park among others. Now known as Celebrity Soccer Six, the event is the biggest celebrity football tournament in the world.

Cup soon devised Lovefootball, London’s free football festival featuring the prestigious Inner City World Cup tournament, where teams of ex pat and second and third generation immigrant communities in the UK play out an amateur world cup tournament in the format of the real thing over one weekend. Lovefootball has grown to incorporate tournaments for all; boys, girls, women’s, veterans, celebrities, disabled football, as well as non football attractions, including music, arts and more. 2011 will be the 18th Lovefootball event and it is regarded by participants as the most prestigious grass roots football event in the UK.

The Lovesport Group's celebrity arm has never stopped devising new ideas and concepts and continues to put on unrivalled quality celebrity events, including the Celebrity Netball 7’s and Dunk n Funk, among others. Since those humble beginnings at Mile End, Cup’s celebrity events have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity and generated millions of pounds worth of press coverage.

In 2004, Mark Abery and MD Glyn Evans realised a dream by chartering a plane of celebrities from Britain (UK Cup Stars) to play a team of Italian celebrities in Florence. The UK Cup Stars team, including Paul Gascoigne, Rod Stewart, Mick Hucknall, Tony Hadley, Paul Young, Rick Wakeman, Steve Harris, Ian Rush, Paulo DiCanio, and Chris Evans and managed by Claudio Ranieri, beat the Italians on penalties. Ten million people watched the event on television and 50,000 in the stadium. The game raised half a million pounds for charity. The UK Cup Stars now feature in the Lovesport Group's Game of History events, which have featured games against the army, a Crystal Palace legends team and a team of Irish celebrities.

The Lovesport Group is passionate about football at the grass roots level and about encouraging sport for youth and communities and schools. Our work in the community continues to grow with the Community Cup, a tournament for disadvantaged youths in London, just one of our many community projects. Lovefootball has united nations, colours, and creeds with over 70 different countries taking part in it’s history.

In 2011 Cup Promotions rebranded as the Lovesport Group and at 17 years old continues to go from strength to strength, devising original new formats, fresh ideas and exciting concepts for celebrity, sporting, music, entertainment, and community events. Our extensive team comes from varied and experienced backgrounds and with dozens of new projects in the pipeline you’re sure to see a new Lovesport Group event soon.