Liverpool Football Club will honour Steven Gerrard with a
testimonial match this summer, with all the proceeds from the event being
donated to charity.
The Reds will face reigning Greek champions and European
giants Olympiacos in their only pre-season match to be played at Anfield, on
Saturday, August 3, 2013 (2pm kick off).
The contest is being staged to celebrate Gerrard's
glittering Liverpool career and also recognise his commitment and loyalty to
his hometown club.
Money raised from events celebrating Steven's testimonial
year will be for the benefit of the Steven Gerrard Foundation (SGF), a
registered charity - www.stevengerrardfoundation.org. The foundation, set up in
February 2011, is committed to making a lasting difference to disadvantaged
children and young people in need.
Liverpool's opponents, Olympiacos, have confirmed that they
too will be donating their appearance fee to local charities in Greece.
The fixture has great historical significance for both
Steven and Liverpool. In 2004, in front of a packed home crowd, a stunning late
goal from Steven, saw Liverpool come from behind to beat a powerful Olympiacos
side 3-1 and go into the next stage of the UEFA Champions League. Steven's goal
proved to be even more critical as that same season, they went on to be crowned
winners of Champions League, beating AC Milan in an unforgettable final.
As Steven has spent the majority of his life in Liverpool,
he has seen many of the issues faced by local children and therefore much of
the money generated will go to a range of children's charitable organisations
and projects in and around Merseyside.
Gerrard said: "I am delighted to be honoured by
Liverpool with a testimonial match and particularly thrilled that Olympiacos
have accepted my invitation to play the fixture. Last time we met proved to be
such a memorable game both for me personally and Liverpool Football Club.
"I am also especially grateful that Olympiacos have
truly embraced the aim of this match and chosen to donate their fee to charity.
I am looking forward to what I know will be a fantastic game and a wonderful
occasion."
Evangelos Marinakis, president of Olympiacos, said: "It
is an honour and a great pleasure to participate in Steven's testimonial match
against Liverpool, which shows yet again how the world of football can work
together to build a bright future for the children and the young people of our
society.
"As a socially-conscious club, Olympiacos always seek
to contribute with actions aimed to alleviate people in need, as much as
humanly possible.
"Reaching those affected by the economic crisis in our
home country, we will donate our share to humanitarian, non-profit driven
foundations and community development programmes. We look forward to a most
enjoyable and rewarding match, where everyone is a winner."
Sportcel Marketing, a leading sports and event marketing
agency, have been appointed by Gerrard as the exclusive agency to organise the
testimonial match on behalf of the Foundation.
In addition, they have been charged with arranging one other
testimonial event, with the objective of raising as much money as possible for
SGF over the course of the year.
Rob Owen, director at Sportcel, said: "Having worked
with Steven on his inaugural fund raising event for the Steven Gerrard
Foundation, we have seen first hand the extraordinary impact that Steven has on
those around him and his ability to galvanise support for such an important
cause.
"We are of course delighted to be chosen to help him
once again, in such an important year for him and the Foundation."
No comments:
Post a Comment