Direct Soccer partnership with Football Aid
Direct Soccer is proud to announce an exciting collaboration with Football Aid. Football Aid is a UK-based charity that offers the simple concept of allowing fans the opportunity to experience the dream of being a pro footballer for a day while raising an amazing amount of funds for causes around the UK and overseas.
As part of this exciting partnership, we are the official match ball sponsor for Football Aid in 2018 and are proud that our very own Rapide footballs will be used when the Football Aid Live the Dream games take place during 2018.
Founded in 2001, Football Aid was created as a unique way to raise money for charity and voluntary organisations. Since then, Football Aid has raised over £5million for over 200 charities while fulfilling the dreams of over 15,000 players!
Some of the many charities to benefit from Football Aid’s work and contributions include the British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children, Diabetes UK and many more fantastic charities and community projects that support young people and adults. Football Aid’s donations help support vital causes overseas, football in the community projects, healthcare and hospice care, diabetes research and charities linked to the football club partners of Football Aid.
Getting to experience the life of a professional footballer is quite easy through Football Aid. Since 2001 there has been over 650 games take place in stadiums around the UK and Europe, with many games taking place at a variety of grounds each year.
On the day of the match participants will experience what it is like to be a pro-footballer. Players are given their own personalised kit so can experience the surreal moment of seeing their team’s jersey, with their name on it, hanging up in the dressing room! From running down the tunnel onto the hallowed turf, every little detail is taken care of by Football Aid and their experienced team to ensure fans truly get a dream once-in-a-lifetime day!
The day gets even better than this though! Football Aid has a number of brand ambassadors who will also take part in the match or manage the teams to make the experience even more of a dream! Two legends of world football, Denis Law and Danny McGrain are patron and vice-patron of Football Aid, while former players like Chris Waddle, Pat Nevin, Gary McAllister and even Pep Guardiola have played in Live the Dream matches alongside fans.
Many club sides host Live the Dream games every year, including the likes of Benfica, Sampdoria, Glasgow Celtic and Manchester City, while since 2004, Football Aid has also offered an international flavour to their Live the Dream matches with matches at Hampden Park and in 2015, the famous Wembley Stadium where fans got to play in an England White versus England Red game!
If you have always dreamed of running out onto your club’s hallowed turf and would like the opportunity to take part in a Live the Dream match, visit Football Aid and check out their events…there are still some places available for the summer season.