Stars from the worlds of football and entertainment will play a charity match at Birmingham’s St Andrew’s in October to try to improve the lives of homeless children.
Four-time Champions League winner Clarence Seedorf and Arsenal ‘Invincible’ Jens Lehmann will be joined be other top former players, and well as Peaky Blinders actor Packy Lee and Love Island’s Adam Collard.
Gael Clichy, Rachel Yankey, Des Walker, Mark Noble and Louis Saha have also signed up and other participants will be announced in the coming weeks for the game taking place on October 11.
The match, which will be called Game4theChildren, aims to raise vital funds to support children experiencing homelessness, both in the West Midlands and across the UK. The game will be broadcast around the world and proceeds will go to homeless charity Shelter and the Birmingham City Foundation.
‘I’ve been committed in giving back to society my whole life, by using sport as a tool to make the world a better place,’ said Seedorf. ‘Sport is a catalyst for creating a more inclusive, peaceful, equitable and responsible society. Initiatives like Game4theChildren are more than welcome and effective and I’m happy to contribute with my presence.’
Government figures released in the last year indicated that there are nearly 170,000 children in England who are homeless or living in temporary accommodation.
Legendary midfielder Clarence Seedorf will star in a charity match in October in aid of the homeless
Arsenal invincible Jens Lehmann (top left) is one of a variety of other stars who will be involved
The match will take place at Brimingham City’s stadium, St Andrew’s and will be broadcast around the world
Shelter estimates that without urgent action, that figure will have reached 206,000 by 2029.
Birmingham, who are owned by American investors Knighthead and have NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority owner, hope funds raised from the game will allow the club’s charity arm to make an impact in some of the city’s most deprived areas.
The match will be organised by Legends, who also arranged similar initiatives Game4Grenfell, Game4Ukraine and The Sir Bobby Robson Trophy
Blues CEO Jeremy Dale said: ‘This is one of the most important games to have ever taken place at St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park. Child homelessness is a societal issue that is constantly around us.
‘By using the power of football and entertainment we can shine a spotlight on the scale of the issue, while at the same time celebrate the great work that many people are already doing in this area to help improve lives.
‘By joining together with Shelter and Legends we can raise more money and help those children who need it most. This is more than a game of football. It’s about changing and improving lives.’
Tickets for the match, priced £30 for adults, £20 for seniors and young adults and £10 for juniors, are on sale now. General admission tickets, as well as hospitality, are available via https://game4thechildren.com/tickets
For more information about the event, player announcements and all other news, visit https://game4thechildren.com
