The story behind the FA Cup trophy bearer | OneFootball

The Club and its charity, City in the Community (CITC), came together to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience before the 2025/26 FA Cup Final for one very deserving staff member.

Pete Bradshaw, a City in the Community Outreach Coach, carried the prestigious trophy out pre-match alongside a representative from Chelsea Foundation.

Pete has worked with CITC for nearly a decade starting part-time with the primary school’s provision, then becoming a full-time staff member, working across Primary Schools, Inspires and Outreach programmes.

Commenting on what it means to be nominated for this experience, Pete said: “It feels absolutely incredible, I’m so proud and happy that people think of me in such a positive way.

“It was great to hear the kind words from the Military Veterans and from leadership that nominated and put me forward.

“I can’t wait to walk out in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley and a worldwide audience and represent City in the Community to the best of my ability.

“I am most excited about the thought of making all the people that supported me proud and getting to represent everyone who has looked after me.”

One programme where his impact has been immeasurable is through his work with the Military Veterans programme.

One Military Veteran commented on the impact Pete has had upon the participants, saying: “Pete Bradshaw, the guy’s an absolute legend. I came across this group, about four years ago, and, every single Tuesday night and every single involvement, he just makes it an absolute joy.

“I love coming, I love his interaction with all the rest of the guys, the way he cares about people.

“He’s interested in people, he’s interested in people’s stories, it’s not just turning up and playing football, he’s interested in our military lives and our military stories.”

Discussing the reason for Pete’s nomination, CITC’s Head of Operations, Lisa McKay said: “Pete has worked for City in the Community for nine years and is an extremely valued member of the team.

“Pete oozes with passion and desire to make a positive change on people across Manchester. The commitment to his work is truly amazing.

“Pete ensures he embeds our values into everything he does - being caring, inclusive, transformative and youth led.

“Pete is a real asset to both City in the Community and our local communities across Manchester and strives every day to have a genuine, positive impact on people’s lives and their future.”

If you want to support CITC, enter this month’s Prize Draw competition, for the chance to win a Full Squad Signed Shirt, an Erling Haaland Club World Cup signed shirt and more.

ENTER THE CITC MONTHLY PRIZE DRAW

The City in the Community Prize Draw is powered by Raise Your Game and your support will go towards sustaining the charity’s programmes, which empower healthier lives through football.

Entries start at £5 per ticket; fans can enter on a one-off basis, or they can sign up to a direct debit, meaning they enter the draw monthly automatically. *

City in the Community empowers healthier lives through football.

To find out more, visit www.mancity.com/citc or follow @citcmancity on social media.

*Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Qatar, Lebanon, and North Korea are the only excluded countries from the prize draw.