The twelve successful bidders from the Club Legends Cup fan auctions have been contacted to inform them they will be lining up with their heroes at the LG Arena on Saturday July 12th this year!Hundreds of fans submitted their bids to represent Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City and Walsall in the unique indoor football tournament taking place the day before the FIFA World Cup Final. The successful bids have raised nearly £15,000 for Midlands blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia.
The lucky winners will be playing with the likes of Lee Hendrie, Stiliyan Petrov, Darren Purse, Michael Johnson, Stephen Pressley, David Busst, Matt Murray, Jorge Leitao and many more legends from Midlands football allowing them to become Legends for the day.
They will receive VIP treatment with an invitation to the exclusive after party with the players and an appearance in the official event programme amongst the additional benefits on July 12th.
Chief Executive of Cure Leukaemia James McLaughlin said, “We are incredibly grateful for the generosity shown by football fans around the region and the money raised from these auctions will be worth £150,000 in potentially life-saving drugs. We know the fans will have an unforgettable experience safe in the knowledge their donation will directly help save the lives of leukaemia patients around the Midlands.”
Former Aston Villa and England Midfielder Paul Merson said: “It’s a brilliant idea. Just for the fans to be in the dressing room with their heroes of the past will be an unbelievable experience for them, let alone play alongside them! This is a fantastic opportunity for the fans.”
Free Radio are a media partner for the showpiece event and the draw was made by former Villa midfielder Ian Taylor on Tom Ross’ Free Radio 80s Goalzone show. Tom, an ambassador for the tournament, said: “Myself and Free Radio are thrilled to be a part of this event. I hear the passion of the fans around this region every day and for them to have this opportunity to represent the club they love with the players they have idolised is surely an experience not to be missed! This is their chance to show what they can do when the chips are down and the pressure is well and truly on!”
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper and tournament ambassador Matt Murray said: “I am very excited about being involved in this tournament. Fans always say that they can do better so this is perfect opportunity for them to show us in person! I think it will be a memorable tournament for everyone involved and hopefully we will raise a huge amount of money for a great charity in the process. I look forward to lining up with some of my old teammates as well and you can be sure that we will want to win!”
Congratulations to Matthew Robinson and Daniel Vayro who have won the auction to represent The Saddlers. They will be joined by the following winners:
Aston Villa – Neil Murdock, Aaron Hodgson
Birmingham City – Richard Flanagan, Paul Mills
West Bromwich Albion – Grant Oakley, Lee Jervis
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Paul Terry, Jake Everley
Coventry City – Jason Johnstone, Andy Burton
Tickets are on sale for the event priced at £10 for adults and £2 for Under-16s (plus booking fees) and can be purchased by clicking here or by calling 0844-338 8000.
All money raised from the day goes to Midlands blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia - www.cureleukaemia.co.uk
Prior to the Club Legends Cup will be the FootieBugs Little Legends Cup featuring six regional kids teams and a Ladies Legends match between two top Midlands sides.
Away from the football there will be a host of fun activities around concourse areas of the LG Arena making it a great day out for the whole family.
Ray Graydon will be managing The Saddlers’ team, which will include the likes of Jorge Leitao, Pedro Matias and Zigor Aranalde.