Merseyside Football Legends To Face Rest Of World At Hill Dickinson Stadium

Everton and Liverpool legends will put one of football's fiercest rivalries aside this September as they unite for the inaugural #Game4Hope at Hill Dickinson Stadium for a Soccer Aid style charity showdown.

Joining forces with celebrities and football icons from around the world, the event will raise vital funds for Shelter and Everton in the Community while helping tackle homelessness across Merseyside and beyond.

Taking place on Saturday 26 September (4.45pm BST kick-off), the inaugural fixture will see an all-star Merseyside XI take on a Rest of the World XI in an afternoon combining football legends, celebrity guests, live music and entertainment in support of Shelter and Everton in the Community.

The event comes amid a renewed national focus on homelessness following Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to eradicate rough sleeping, with #Game4Hope giving football supporters across the region the opportunity to come together and play their part in addressing one of the country’s most urgent social challenges.

Alongside stars from music, sport and TV and film, there will be some serious footballing pedigree on show. Everton giant Peter Reid and Liverpool great John Barnes will join forces as joint managers of the Merseyside XI, with Leighton Baines, Gareth Barry, Phil Jagielka, Yakubu, Robbie Fowler, David James, Ryan Babel, Jari Litmanen, John Aldridge, Joleon Lescott and Louis Saha. Joining them to pull on the home purple shirt – a nod to both sides of the city – will be celebrity fans Tony Bellew, John Bishop, James Nelson-Joyce, Molly McCann, Still Ryan and Big Zuu.

A Rest of the World side already brimming with talent features Brazil World Cup-winning captain Cafu, Champions League winners Clarence Seedorf and Jaap Stam, former fellow Netherlands international Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Moroccan legend Mustapha Hadji and Forest and England legend Des Walker, with Ted Lasso actors Toheeb Jimoh and Moe Hashim, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, aka Nitro from Gladiators, Johnny Nelson and Jack Fowler. Tinie Tempah will be playing and performing as part of the half-time show.

GAME4HOPE TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE

With seven-time Women’s Premier League winner Rachel Yankey and Chelcee Grimes confirmed, Game4Hope will see a number of famous women players and celebrities representing both teams.

More legendary players, celebrities and special guests representing both sides will be announced in the build-up to the game.

Hill Dickinson’s Fan Plaza will see a festival of food, music and entertainment to keep the whole family entertained before and after the game.

Tickets for this unique fixture are on sale now, with exclusive prices available for Everton Season Ticket Members:

Everton Season Ticket Members

Adults - £15

Under-16s - £10

General Sale

Adults - £25

Under-16s - £15

Everton Premium Members will be contacted directly with details of the options available to them for #Game4Hope. Premium packages at Hill Dickinson Stadium are now on sale HERE, via Seat Unique.

The action on the pitch will form part of a much bigger day of entertainment at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with live musical performances and special entertainment throughout the event, including a half-time performance from Tinie Tempah, creating a festival atmosphere for supporters of all ages.

Behind the football and entertainment is a local and national cause that urgently needs attention. More than 1,600 children in Liverpool are currently experiencing homelessness, growing up in temporary accommodation without the stability and security every child should have.

On a single night, nearly 5,000 people were recorded sleeping rough in the UK, representing a record high since tracking began and a 3-per-cent increase from last year's figures.

#Game4Hope will harness the power of football to raise both funds and awareness, supporting individuals and families in Liverpool City Region and across the country who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

Proceeds from the event will support the work of Everton in the Community and Shelter, bringing together the local expertise of Everton’s official charity with one of the country’s leading housing and homelessness organisations.

Everton in the Community believes preventing homelessness starts long before someone loses their home. Alongside its Home Is Where the Heart Is programme, which provides young people with practical support and pathways towards stable accommodation, the charity delivers a wide range of services that help tackle many of the underlying causes of homelessness. From mental health and wellbeing support, addiction recovery and physical health programmes to employability services, youth intervention and support for people rebuilding their lives following family breakdown, the charity works alongside thousands of people each year to help them build brighter, more secure futures.

Sue Gregory, CEO at Everton in the Community, said: “Homelessness is one of the most urgent challenges facing our communities, and we know only too well through our work across the Liverpool City Region that it can affect people from all walks of life.

"#Game4Hope is about our city coming together to say that nobody should be without a safe and secure place to call home. Football has an incredible ability to unite people and, for one special afternoon, we’re putting rivalries aside and using that power to make a real difference.

"We’re incredibly proud to stand alongside Everton Football Club, Shelter and Legends Soccer to make this event possible. The funds and awareness raised will help us continue to be there for people facing some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable, while shining a light on both the visible and hidden reality of homelessness across our region.

"I hope supporters from across Merseyside and beyond will join us at Hill Dickinson Stadium for what promises to be a very special day for our city.”

Working alongside Everton in the Community will be Shelter, which campaigns for housing justice while providing expert advice and support to people and families facing homelessness across the country.

Lauren Thompson, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Shelter, said: “It’s a privilege to be one of the charity partners for #Game4Hope. It promises to be an exciting fixture, all to raise vital funds to help children and families experiencing homelessness. 

"Right now, more children than ever are stuck homeless growing up in temporary accommodation – forced to live in cramped and insecure conditions, sharing beds with siblings and with no space to play or do homework.

"Our frontline services provide vital advice and support to people and families facing homelessness across the country. It’s thanks to the invaluable support of partners like Everton Football Club and Legends Soccer Group that we’re able to continue our fight against the housing emergency.”

Lester Holcombe, Co-Founder of LGNDS, said: “For more than 20 years, we’ve been bringing together some of the biggest names in football, sport and entertainment to create major live TV events around causes that matter. #Game4Hope is exactly what these occasions should be about. It’s not simply another legends match – it’s a huge cast of football icons, celebrities, entertainers and famous faces coming together to create a genuine family spectacle, while using the power and reach of football to shine a light on an incredibly important issue.

"But the most important part of this is the fans. These events only have real impact when people get behind them, fill the stadium and become part of the story. Every ticket bought and every person who joins us helps support the incredible work that Everton in the Community and Shelter are doing every day for children and families facing homelessness.

"There’s something very special about Everton and Liverpool putting one of football’s great rivalries aside and uniting as one Merseyside team for this cause. And we’re incredibly excited to be staging the match with Everton FC at the magnificent new Hill Dickinson Stadium – what better stage for the city to come together for something that really matters. 

"We want to fill this incredible stadium, create an unforgettable day for fans and families and, most importantly, raise significant funds and awareness to help Everton in the Community and Shelter continue their vital work.”

From seeing some of the most recognisable names in Everton and Liverpool's recent history lining up together, to watching global football icons take them on, #Game4Hope promises a football occasion unlike anything previously staged at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Alongside the match itself, supporters can look forward to live music, half-time entertainment, celebrity appearances and further special guests, with more announcements to follow in the coming weeks.

On 26 September, two cities divided by football will stand together for something far more important. Whether you're blue, red or simply want to make a difference, #Game4Hope promises an unforgettable day and the chance to help ensure more families have somewhere safe to call home.

GAME4HOPE TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE