Christmas Sporting Event FAQs – Annual Midlands Sportsman’s Lunch
When and where will the 2025 Midlands Sporting Luncheon take place?
On Wednesday 10th December 2025, the anticipated 35th annual Midlands Sporting Luncheon will be taking place at the iconic Macdonald Burlington Hotel, located just outside of Birmingham New Street in the heart of Birmingham’s town centre.
Who will be joining Master of Ceremonies Tim Stimpson at the 2025 Midlands Sporting Luncheon?
Master of Ceremonies and former British and Irish Lion Tim Stimpson will be joined by the award-winning and well-renowned UK Comedian Andrew Bird, who will be sure to provide the laughs and plenty of entertainment for you and your guests, and clients to enjoy throughout the afternoon.
Stimpson will also be joined by our Guest of Honour for 2025 – a fellow former England international and British and Irish Lion Dan Cole, who only recently retired from rugby at the end of last season.
He accumulated a total of no less than 118 caps in total for England, as well as a further three for the British and Irish Lions during tours of both Australia and New Zealand.
He is also a legendary figure for the Leicester Tigers, for whom he made 343 appearances between 2007 and 2025.
What makes Master of Ceremonies Tim Stimpson a famous figure in rugby?
Tim Stimpson is a big name in the world of rugby. For England, he was capped for England on as many as 19 occasions, as well as scoring 35 points between 1996 and 2002.
Not only that, he is a former British and Irish Lion who took part in the tour of South Africa in 1997, and at the time, South Africa were the reigning Rugby World Champions. Stimpson was part of the squad, led by Head Coach Ian McGeechan, who went on to win the series 2 – 1 in the end.
At club level, Stimpson played for the likes of Wakefield, West Hartlepool, Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers, Perpignan, Leeds Tykes, and Nottingham RFC.
His most famous time as a player in domestic rugby was with the Leicester Tigers, with whom he spent 5 years from 1998 to 2003, scoring as many as 1,445 points in total.
Why is Dan Cole such a revered and admired figure in the world of rugby?
Dan Cole is revered and admired in the world of rugby thanks to his incredibly successful career as a player, with him only bringing his illustrious career to an end following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
Starting with his domestic career, he is a legendary figure in the history of the Leicester Tigers, for whom he made an incredible 343 appearances between 2007 and 2025. He won no less than 4 Premiership titles during his time with the club, doing so in 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2022.
As for his career on the international stage, he is a former England international, as well as an ex-British and Irish Lion.
For England, Dan Cole was able to accumulate as many as 118 caps for his country – the second most of any player for England, with only Ben Youngs having more (127). Also with England, he won 3 Six Nations Championships in 2011, 2016, and 2017. In 2016, he was part of the side that won the Grand Slam. Cole was also part of the England team that were World Cup runners-up in 2019.
For the British and Irish Lions, he got 3 caps, and he participated in tours of both Australia and New Zealand.
What makes 2025 MSL Comedian Andrew Bird stand out?
Andrew Bird is our comedian for 2025, and he will be providing plenty of laughs and entertainment throughout the afternoon for all in attendance.
Bird is a well-renowned and award-winning comedian. In 2023, he was the winner of the Comic’s Comic “Best Act” – 2023 at the UK Comedy Awards. Not only that, he has also supported a number of the UK’s most famous and renowned comedians on tour, including Russell Howard at Bristol’s Ashton Gate Football stadium, plus a further six shows at The London Palladium.
Additionally, he has also opened for Rhod Gilbert, Rob Brydon, America’s Brian Regan, and Michelle Wolfe on a number of their London shows, and he warmed up the Michael McIntyre audience on an entire arena tour, including Wembley and the O2.
Bird is also a very successful comedy writer and has provided material for TV including 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Pointless, Have I Got News for You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Room 101, The Jonathan Ross Show, Mrs Browns Boys, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Taskmaster, The Wheel, Not Going Out and The Russell Howard Hour, where he has also proved on a number of these well-known shows to be an excellent warm up.
There will be fundraising for Prostate Cancer UK in 2025. How much was raised at last year’s Midlands Sporting Luncheon?
In 2025, the afternoon stars the likes of former British and Irish Lions Tim Stimpson and Dan Cole, the latter of whom is also a Leicester Tigers icon, as well as award winning and widely acclaimed comedian Andrew Bird.
Fundraising for Prostate Cancer UK last year saw a total of almost £10,000 raised (£9,750 to be precise!).
We hope to raise even more money for charity at the 35th annual Midlands Sporting Luncheon on 10th December 2025.
What is on the menu for the 35th Annual Midlands Sporting Luncheon at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel?
There is some incredible food on offer on the menu at the upcoming 2025 Midlands Sporting Luncheon in December. The menu is as follows:
Chicken Liver Parfait – with Fig chutney, mulled wine gel, and brioche toast.
Sirloin of finest Scottish Beef – with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, and seasonal vegetables.
Chocolate & Orange Cheesecake – with Orange gel and Chantilly Cream.
Platter of English Cheese & Biscuits per table – with Tea, Coffee, and Mints per table.
How can I contact Eventmasters regarding the 35th Annual Midlands Sporting Luncheon?
There are a number of ways in which you can get in touch with Eventmasters regarding the 35th Annual Midlands Sporting Luncheon on 10th December 2025.
You can either fill in the enquiry form at the bottom of this page, or you can alternatively, if you would prefer to, contact us directly on 0121 233 6500, where you can get in touch with our dedicated sales team, who will be happy to help you.
