Charlton take on second placed Swansea City at The Valley on Wednesday for the annual University of Greenwich matchday.
As part of the day students from the club's partners have received discounted tickets to attend the game and some of the university's alumni will take part in a special penalty shootout.
Five students and five alumni will take penalties in front of the Covered End during half-time at Wednesday's game.
Alumni
David Chatwin started the University’s BA Hons Physical Education and Sport degree programme as a mature student.
He coached on several of Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT)’s programmes alongside his studies, including holiday football courses and Charlton Challenge.
He has since gone on to become a Charlton Athletic Foundation Phase Lead Coach.
He was part of the staff that brought Liverpool and England defender Joe Gomez through the academy.
David said: “I tailored the work around my studies and was able to earn a good student wage. I then got introduced to the Academy Development Centre Manager and got a part-time post for them in their Lewisham Development Centre.
“My progression from there was quite rapid, having then been promoted to an Academy age group coach and then finally into full-time employment with the Club and my current post.”
Like David, Gary Panton also coached on CACT’s holiday football courses and Charlton Challenge alongside his studies. He studied to be a teacher and has taught PE at two local schools. He is now Assistant Head at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School.
Luke Anderson also worked for CACT, initially as a casual coach whilst studying at the University. He then became CACT’s Social Inclusion Manager from 1998 to 2003.
In this role, he set up a number of football-based diversionary activities in areas of social deprivation aiming to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. Luke also played football semi-professionally.
Naomi Reid, another graduate, will also be taking a spot-kick.
Naomi plays for CACT Invicta, the first LGBTQI+ friendly team affiliated to a professional club’s community trust.
A former first-team player for the University’s Men’s football team, Paul Walsh graduated in Physical Education and Sport in 2003. He is also a Football Association of Ireland U19 graduate.
Paul coached part-time on CACT’s holiday football courses to support his studies. He is now Head of PE at Woolwich Polytechnic.
The alumni team’s goalkeeper, Sean Lydon, is a Physical Education and Sport graduate (’03). He captained the University’s Boxing club and also played for the Rugby Union side and Men’s Football Thirds.
Similarly to Paul, Sean also worked extensively on CACT holiday football courses alongside his studies. He is now PE Specialist at a Pupil Referral Unit.
Students
On the student side, Krasemir Korsachki will represent the new University of Greenwich Futsal Team. Set up earlier this year, the team recently organised a taster session open to all students as part of a recruitment drive. The shootout will take place a week before their first match, against Brunel University Fourths on 13 October.
Considerably older, the University of Greenwich Football Club “has been around for as long as the University itself”, said Chairman Ben Stokes, who will try his luck from the spot once again alongside Manager Rhys Theobald.
Ben said: “With a huge fanbase and willing players, Men’s Football has always drawn students closer together into the family it is today.
“I feel excited to step up to the plate again, and doing it in front of the home supporters makes it all the more nerve-wracking but exciting”, he said.
Ben, who stuck his bottom right last year, said Rhys “unfortunately skied his but says he’s not going to make the same mistake twice”.
Their goalkeeper Harry Quilley will be in between the sticks.
University of Greenwich Women's Football team also play every Wednesday, in the British Universities and Colleges Sport league. The team, which Charlton Athletic sponsors, raised more than £2,000 for a brain tumour charity last year and won the Club Outreach award as a result.
Vice-Captain Ellis Lunn will be representing them in the shootout.
Hannah Upton from the University’s Mermaids cheerleading team is also taking part. Greenwich Students’ Union’s Team of the Year, the Mermaids became Level 1 Champions in the Legacy University National Competition.