English Premier League clubs wear Poppy Appeal kits

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English Premier League clubs are wearing special edition kits to support and raise money for The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

Players’ match-worn shirts will also be signed and auctioned with all proceeds going to The Royal British Legion.

Both players’ and match officials special-edition shirts are embroidered with a poppy. The shirts were featured in last weekend’s matches and will also appear during the weekend of November 7.

The English Premier League has supported The Royal British Legion since 2012 – over $4 million dollars (AUD) has been raised through the auctioning of match-worn shirts.

The Royal British Legion supports the armed forces community, offering grants, sport and art recovery programmes and also advises on benefits and money issues.

“We are extremely grateful for the support that Premier League clubs and the football community show the Poppy Appeal every year. The Legion’s work is entirely dependent on the public’s generous support, and this year we need that support more than ever, so we can ensure that those who have served and sacrificed on our behalf are looked after. Every poppy counts,” Director of Fundraising at The Royal British Legion, Claire Rowcliffe said the fundraising initiative.

Club pin badges are also being sold to support The Royal British Legion.

“The Legion’s work is more vital than ever this year as the charity supports communities through additional hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from those struggling with social isolation, financial difficulties and unemployment, to others who have lost loved ones or are facing the threat of homelessness,” Manchester United said in a statement on the club’s website.

The EPL shirts are being auctioned over the next month.

The match-worn shirts from Aston Villa, Burnley, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur are currently live.

The shirts from Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are not up for auction yet.

As of last night, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shirt had the highest bid so far at just over $3000 (AUD).

 

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Daniel Foley is a sports junior journalist with Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy and micro industry matters.

Football SA extending Development Centres throughout regional and metropolitan areas

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Football SA Development Centres
Image credit: Football SA

Football South Australia (SA) announced the expansion of its Development Centres for boys and girls from ages nine to 13.

This expansion will offer more football and more opportunities for players in the Barossa, Noarlunga, Port Lincoln and Metropolitan Adelaide.

The five new centres add to the four currently located in the Limestone Coast, Whyalla, Riverland and the Adelaide Hills, taking the total up to nine centres in 2024.

Much of the talk has been the incredible impact that the home soil FIFA Women’s World Cup has had on football participation in the country across all age groups. There has been a notable uptick in player participation in regional areas , registering a 16.5% increase. Across the entire state, there is overall growth of 9%.

The key goal of the Football SA Development Centres expansion is to lay the grassroots foundation in place and create a suitable environment for kids so that their talent is recognised and captured by coaches.

These added sessions as a result of the expansion are designed not to conflict with existing club activities and will enhance players’ fundamental footballing skills.

Football SA Technical Director Michael Cooper touched on the opportunity this opens up for player development at the early ages.

“When we started the original program in 2023, we had the vision to implement a state-wide program that provides equal opportunities for players to progress to our State programs and offerings, which are highly regarded nationally,” Cooper said via Football SA press release.

“Taking our programs to regional South Australia has prevented the need for young players to travel week in week out to Adelaide for specialised coaching. This illustrates our support for regional associations and pathways we collectively offer.

“We are excited to see all players come together at events such as the State Development Carnival in July and I am confident more players will be identified from regional areas in the future.”

An issue Football South Australia touched on in their 2023-2026 Strategic Plan was the lack of regional players making the transition into state and regional squads.

The key function of Football SA, as mentioned on their website, has always been player development and to increase participation. This Development Centre expansion will service the regional communities and allow potential talented players, who weren’t recognised before, to grow through a natural pathway up until they represent state squads.

Cádiz CF outlines plan for new sports technology centre

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Cádiz Sportech City
Image via Cádiz CF

LALIGA football club Cádiz CF has unveiled plans to construct a brand-new sports technology centre which will be known as ‘Sportech City’.

The centre is expected to deliver significant results in the sports technology industry, and assert Cádiz’s position in the top-flight of Spanish football.

In addition, the centre aims to make a positive impact in areas outside of the football club, most notably in health and education. A short video released on its official YouTube channel helped outline the proposed facilities within Sportech City.

These include:

  • A 7,500-square-metre data centre.
  • A dedicated sports university.
  • 5,600 square metres dedicated to laboratories and prototype validation for user experience.
  • An events/congress centre.
  • A technological business incubator centre with 6,100 square metres of offices.
  • Health and medical services.
  • A designated retail zone.

Sportech City is the latest plan to be announced since La Liga introduced its ‘Impulso’ agreement with CVC Capital Partners in 2021. The agreement provided nearly two billion euros (3.3 million AUD) for Spanish football clubs to invest in technology, innovation, internationalisation, and sporting growth initiatives.

Plans for the centre are being coordinated between the club and professional services firm KPMG, who believe the centre will stimulate the local economy. It is estimated that 4,000 jobs will be created for the construction of Sportech City alone, with a further 2,900 jobs expected for the running of the centre.

According to sources within the club, Cádiz CF hopes to generate a minimum of 15 million euros (24.7 million AUD) per year once it begins operation.

Cádiz CF, like many clubs that sit beneath the traditional giants of Spanish football, have suffered a turbulent off-field history.

However, under president Manuel Vizcaíno’s stewardship since 2019, the club attracted overseas investment which helped them return to the top-flight of Spanish football for just the fourth time in its 123-year existence.

Sportech City is hoped to be the next initiative under an ambitious Vizcaíno that will bring success not just to the football club, but to the city of Cádiz.

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