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THE ULTIMATE FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE
Time is running out for Boro' supporters who dream of securing their place on the Middlesbrough team sheet as Football Aid prepares to blow the whistle by starting to close positions in the next few days.
Whether your dream is of being a defensive dynamo like Southgate, a midfield maestro like Downing or silky striker like Hasselbaink, whatever your dream, the beautiful game's preferred football charity, Football Aid advises that you should place your bids NOW if your dream is to play in a game at the Riverside.
The well-known and fiercely competitive online auction marketplace has released positions for Middlesbrough FC and clubs all over the UK. With starting bids from as low as £225, everyone stands a fighting chance of playing where their heroes have gone before them.
Former Boro' Football Aid participant John Brookes says:
"It is with great excitement that I can confirm that I will be playing in my fourth Football Aid match at Middlesbrough, an event that I look on with real excitement even at my tender age of 46...47 by the time the game takes place God Willing!
I keep saying I will play until I score a goal on my beloved Riverside pitch but up until now I have not had a sniff at goal. But I have enjoyed pitting my wits, mind and least of all body against professionals like Bernie Slaven.
I belong to a punters panel on my local paper the Evening Gazette, commenting on my beloved Boro. And of course Bernie Slaven also does Boro reporting for the Gazette so this time I am again in the position of marking Bernie, a dual that I am looking forward to with some trepidation as the last time I marked him in a Footy aid game I recall he scored 7!!"
Teesside Hospice Care Foundation was recently awarded £2450 to replace the catering equipment in the hospice. The grant was made available as a result of some of the Football Aid event funding at Middlesbrough in 2004, and is the fourth Football Aid grant that has been awarded to the hospice.
The care provided at the hospice includes a 10-bedded inpatient unit, 16 guests per day - day care centre, home care, counselling and bereavement services, out patient clinics and home and hospital visits.
Maureen Thompson, Chief Executive of Teesside Hospice Care Foundation said:
"On behalf of all of the staff, trustees, volunteers, patients and guests we are extremely grateful to MFC and Football Aid for this grant and their continued support. The money received will enable the hospice to renew and upgrade cooking equipment within the main hospice kitchen area. It is over twelve years now since the kitchen first opened and this money will enable us replace equipment such as steamers, mixers and other kitchen equipment used daily by the hospice chefs. Thank you to MFC and all of the players for making this award possible."
Sir Bobby Robson says,
"Whatever Football Club that our participants supports, the emotion and memories created by living your dream will live long in the mind. When the penny drops about money going to good causes, and seeing the messages of thanks and the feedback from the projects that we help fund, those memories are multiplied. It is true that wherever football is played, there are people in need. Football Aid provides one way that we can provide much needed help in these areas."
Supporters can square up and battle it out for a place on the Boro's team sheet as Football Aid enters its fifth and most competitive year yet, allowing supporters from all over the world the chance to play on the hallowed turf of Middlesbrough Football Club.
Whether you dream of being a defensive dynamo, a midfield maestro or silky striker, whatever the dream, the beautiful game's supporters preferred football charity, Football Aid, announces the launch of the remaining positions for the 2005 series of events at The Riverside Stadium on it's website www.footballaid.com.
The well-known and fiercely competitive online auction marketplace is set to release positions at participating clubs all over the UK and with starting bids from as low as £250, everyone stands a fighting chance of playing where their heroes have gone before them.
The 2005 series of UK events Auction Program kicked off at on Thursday 13th January and will start to be closed on 4th March 2005. Successful bidders will have the opportunity to take to the field with former club players, who will captain each team on the day, and also to be managed by former legends from the touchline. More than just living the dream, each participant will fully experience just what it is like on match day for the professional players and at the same time contribute significantly to charity with money raised through participation going to a variety of charitable causes supported by the participating clubs as well as Football Aid's preferred charity Diabetes Research.
Over the past four seasons, Football Aid has delivered over two hundred games on a UK club, European and national stage enabling 6,000 players to "Live the Dream" - playing in a regulated 90 minute game overseen by FA and SFA match officials. 2005 continues to offer the experience of playing at the best of UK clubs, including Middlesbrough.
Sir Bobby Robson, patron, adds;
"Football Aid is a fantastic opportunity for supporters to play where their heroes play and this year, Football Aid is doing better than ever - with more positions taken up, and very likely, much stronger competition for the bidding. Wherever Football is played, there are scores of supporters who live, breathe and sleep the day to day ups and downs of their club. It is these people that can live their dream, playing with former players in the strip of Boro on the Riverside pitch and make a difference to so many others by the fact that what they do, playing in a game on the pitch of their club, they raise money for people in need. And wherever football is played, there are many people in need of help and support."
Scottish businessman, Craig Paterson, founded Football Aid to raise funds for diabetes charities after his son was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes aged 11. As the charity has evolved, a proportion of the funds raised continues to go to diabetes research with the remainder going to charities nominated by participating clubs.
To secure a position at Boro in one of this year's Football Aid games, willing participants should visit www.footballaid.com, register and bid to play. Positions will start to close on 4th of March 2005.
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