Soccer Aid

This information is strictly embargoed from all press use and commerical or non-commercial publication until 00:01 Tuesday 1 June.


Soccer Aid is back!

The epic sporting event kicks off on Sunday 6th June at Manchester's legendary Old Trafford stadium and will be broadcast live on ITV1. Two star-studded squads of footballing legends and celebrities from England and the Rest of the World will take on one another in an electrifying football match all in aid of UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation.

The brainchild of Robbie Williams and UNICEF UK, this year’s event will be hosted by Dermot O’Leary, with Dave Berry getting all the reaction from the game on Soccer Aid: Extra Time on ITV4 after the match. Kirsty Gallacher will be pitchside, reporting all the action as it happens.

Dermot says: “I’ve never worked with UNICEF before and it’s a charity I feel privileged to be working with for the day. They do such fantastic work around the world so I hope Soccer Aid helps raise lots of cash.”

Harry Redknapp will be managing the England team, with comic genius James Corden assistant managing. Coached by Bryan Robson, the impressive team sheet includes:

Captain Robbie Williams, GMTV presenter Ben Shephard, actor and TV presenter Bradley Walsh, presenter and DJ Jamie Theakston, comedian Paddy McGuiness, actors Rupert Penry-Jones, Damian Lewis, and Jonathan Wilkes, boxing hero Ricky Hatton and footballing heroes Alan Shearer, David Seaman, Teddy Sheringham, Martin Keown, Nicky Butt and Jamie Redknapp.

The Rest of the World team will be managed by legendary Scot Kenny Dalglish, with Ian Rush once again assistant managing. Former Manchester United youth coach Eric Harrision will coach the squad which includes:

Captain Michael Sheen (The Queen, Twilight: New Moon), Hollywood superstars Mike Myers and Woody Harrelson, TV presenter Gethin Jones, Westlife members Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne, world famous chef Gordon Ramsay, The Mentalist actor Simon Baker, comedian Patrick Kielty, cricket legend Brian Lara, undefeated boxing champion Joe Calzaghe and actor James Kyson-Lee, who plays Ando in Heroes. Football legends Zinedine Zidane, Jens Lehmann, Henrik Larsson, Luis Figo, Paolo Maldini and Ryan Giggs will complete the squad.

World famous referee Pierluigi Collina will oversee the Soccer Aid match.

Broadcasting live from Old Trafford, the ITV show will feature a host of studio guests including UNICEF Ambassador Robbie Williams, plus Gary Barlow, Kelly Brook and Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce. English tenor Russell Watson will be performing 'Nessun Dorma' on the pitch.

England captain and UNICEF Ambassador Robbie Williams recently returned from a visit to Haiti with UNICEF, where he witnessed first hand the devastation caused by the recent earthquake and learnt how some of the money raised from this year’s Soccer Aid will help the children of Haiti to rebuild their lives after the quake.

Robbie’s films from Haiti will be shown during Soccer Aid, along with short films from fellow UNICEF Ambassadors Cat Deeley, James Nesbitt and Ewan McGregor who have all visited UNICEF projects that will be helped by Soccer Aid to show viewers exactly where their money will go and introduce some of the children who will be helped by viewers’ donations.

Money raised through profits from ticket sales and donations made by viewers during the match will go to UNICEF’s invaluable work helping children around the world. This will be the third Soccer Aid event, with the previous matches, held at Old Trafford in 2006 and Wembley in 2008, raising almost £4 million in total for UNICEF’s work.

Soccer Aid 2010 has been commissioned for ITV1 by Layla Smith, ITV Controller of Entertainment. The Executive Producers for Initial, an Endemol company are David Staite and Nic McNeilis.

Please quote ticket details in all copy
Tickets now on sale for Soccer Aid 2010, call 0844 576 2010 or visit itv.com/socceraid

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Last edited: Wednesday, 26 May 2010