‘He is literally changing lives’: Pat Gordon, our Community Captain.

Pat Gordon is a Palace for Life legend who has worked on a range of programmes to support south Londoners over the past decade.

To honour his dedication and as part of the Premier League’s More Than A Game campaign, he was presented with his Community Captain armband, trophy, pennant and signed Palace shirt  by Oliver Glasner, Marc Guehi, and Eberechi Eze at the club’s training ground.

There isn’t much Pat doesn’t know about changing lives in our community – his ten years at Palace have seen him work across nearly all of our programmes, old and new.

His current focus is the PLPFA Mentoring programme, where he mentors young people one-to-one, helping them address challenges with mental health, build resilience, and develop skills to improve their employment prospects.

He’s also an experienced Premier League Inspires coach, equipping secondary school students with the personal, social and employability skills they need to succeed in life.

One of his most powerful contributions was his work with Damary Dawkins, a talented young player at our Player Development Centre. When Damary was diagnosed with leukaemia and required a bone marrow transplant, Pat became a driving force in the #Donate4Damary campaign. He rallied the club, the Foundation, and the local community to support Damary’s fight, organising donor drives and raising awareness.

Over 100 people registered as potential donors, and the campaign became a powerful example of what can be achieved when a community comes together.

Pat’s compassion and commitment extend far beyond a single programme or a single campaign. He has recently been delivering life-changing programmes at Croydon College and John Ruskin College, empowering young people with the tools and skills they need to thrive.

One example was his work with Jesse, who went from low attendance at college, to achieving Student of the Year with the help of Pat’s mentorship. Jesse, who worked with Pat over just a few months, said:

“I couldn’t have achieved any of it without my mentor and the partnership we created. Discussing my fears, tackling my lack of self-confidence, and providing me with consistent guidance has made all the difference. I now know I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it.”

Sarah Hoddy, Pat’s line manager, was just one of a few who nominated Pat for the Community Captain award. She explains why:

“Pat encapsulates what it means to be part of the wider community, bringing an attitude to his work that radiates positivity, and when needed he is the first person that will give you an honest and open conversation – he makes everyone that he works with feel wanted and part of the Foundation. Although a larger than life character, he is actually very humble when it comes to what he does, but he is literally changing lives.”

Pat has been at the forefront of our work with local prisons HMP Highdown and HMP Downview, helping to rehabilitate prisoners through the Twinning Project; an initiative that uses football to help build trust and prepare for life outside prison.

Most recently, Pat has been leading on our Street Soccer social mobility programme, helping young people aged 16-24 who are not in education, training or employment move into more positive pathways, including in football coaching. This year alone Pat has worked with over 50 young people on this programme.

The Premier League supports football at every level of the game in England and Wales, providing world-leading investment in clubs, communities and facilities to positively impact the lives of millions of people.

We’d like to thank Pat for a decade of dedication and hope he loves his Community Captain armband, trophy and pennant.