Barbara Davidson is the sales and website co-ordinator for Football Aid which is a charity organisation that helps bring fans closer to their club by allowing them to play a 90 minute game on the hallowed turf of their favourite team. ‘Legends’ also participate in the matches and this year she informs me that Danny Maddix, Clive Wilson and club coach Dave Robinson were on hand to give encouragement to the teams. They are a non-profit business and all their profits go to a variety of charities which have included Cancer Research UK, CLIC Sargent and many charities in the local community. Well done everyone and good luck with all your future events.
Steve Russell
Twenty seven QPR fans have raised thousands of pounds for charity by living their dream and playing on the hallowed turf at Loftus Road. Nearly £9,500 was raised by Hoops fans, each of whom had paid for the unique chance to pull on the famous blue and white hooped shirt and play in a 90 minute, fully officiated charity football match on the 8th May 2008, alongside QPR legends Danny Maddix, Clive Wilson and club coach Dave Robinson.
Grant Foster, a fan and one of the goalkeepers, couldn’t believe he was standing where his heroes had done only four days previously. He said: “It really was a wonderful day at QPR. I saw my first match in the 1975/76 season (April Bank Holiday Monday – Rangers 2 Arsenal 1 !!!), so finally to tread the hallowed turf was a dream come true. My son and fianc√©e came and we all agreed that the Football Aid staff were first class. The ‘Legends’ didn’t hog the limelight, but encouraged and brought others into the game at every opportunity. Dave Robinson, our manager, was really cool too and made us feel like pros for the time we were at the club. I was supposed to retire but I’m having second thoughts now because I’d love to play again next year.”
In past years, monies raised from this event have been distributed towards charitable projects including International Service, Kids Active and Rampage Retired Holiday Project for Senior Citizens, all of which were nominated by Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club. Charitable funds generated from the event are distributed through Football Aid’s parent charity, Field of Dreams and split between diabetes research, management programmes and other highly deserving charitable projects also nominated by QPR FC. If you would like further information regarding playing in the event, please visit the QPR Football Aid page at: www.footballaid.com or contact the sales team at:
info@footballaid.com
Barbara Davidson