Football legends support first virtual Homeless World Cup Day
June 23 2020Football legends have given their backing to the Homeless World Cup Foundation’s first ever virtual Homeless World Cup Day.
The event will take place on 5th July 2020 and is free for all to attend.
The star-studded line up of commentary includes Michail Antonio, Nuno Gomes, Steffen Freund, Karen Carney, John Collins, Terry Angus, and Jason Lee, who will all take part in the event on 5 July.
The panel will join host David Tanner in re-living some of the best games in previous Homeless World Cup tournaments held in Glasgow, Mexico City and Cardiff.
Foundation Chair, Mel Young said:
“It is fantastic to have such high-profile football stars involved in our event and giving us their support.
“Cancelling the Tournament meant we lost more than a sporting event. We lost the stage in which we showcase the power of football to inspire and change lives. HWCDay will reclaim that stage and bring people from all over the world together in one single cause; to end homelessness.
“This virtual event on what would have been our finals day will help us relive some of the great sporting moments that make the Homeless World Cup so special.
“We are looking for as many people as possible to join in on the day and as with all of our tournaments it is free for anyone to access. You can sign up to take your seat through our website.”
Find out how to #TakeYourSeat and be part of the fun on 5 July by visiting homelessworldcup.org.
Homeless World Cup Day aims to highlight the work of the organisation and its partners as it continues with its mission to combat homelessness through football. Combining creative talent and various digital media, the event will also showcase players stories, engaging talks and fun challenges for people wanting to participate from all over the world.
For further information, please contact Press
Notes to the editor:
About Homeless World Cup Day
Homeless World Cup Day – a virtual celebration of the work of the Homeless World Cup Foundation and its partners, will take place on July 5. The day is being organised in response to the cancellation of the 2020 Homeless World Cup in Tampere, Finland due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a symbolic gesture, HWC Day will take place the day the finals would have been played at the now cancelled 2020 Tampere Homeless World Cup.
About the pundits
Michail Antonio
Michail Antonio is a professional football player who plays as a winger for West Ham United in the Premier League. Having played for clubs such as Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest, Michail arrived at West Ham in the summer of 2015 and after a superb first two seasons, was awarded the 2016/17 Hammer of the Year award. He was also awarded Player of the Year in his final season at Forest.
Antonio’s support and introduction to HWC was facilitated by Barn Door – an award-winning online platform designed to support sports both during and post career by connecting them with entrepreneurs, companies and brands to provide new business and active commercial opportunities which have the potential to personally involve them. To find out more about Barn Door visit: https://www.barndooruk.co.uk/
Jason Lee
Having played football professionally for 18 teams, including Nottingham Forest, and a period managing Boston United, Jason Lee has had a storied career.
After retiring from the sport in 2012 Jason became Equalities Education Executive at the Professional Footballers’ Association in 2013. His responsibilities include raising awareness of the PFA’s services as well as the importance that education plays during and after a career in football.
As an Equalities executive his role is to ensure BAME players are aware of, and accessing, the PFA’s resources, as well supporting players looking to develop skills in different aspects of the game.
Terry Angus
Before becoming Community Equalities Executive at the PFA, Terry Angus made over 350 league appearances. Teams he has played for include Fulham, Northampton Town, and Slough Town.
Drawing from his experience working in the Youth Justice System and community diversity programmes, Terry works with football clubs and community departments to ensure support for social responsibility projects.
He is also involved in the PFA’s Senior Player Diversity Programme which encourages players to speak out against discrimination.
John Collins
John Collins is a Scottish professional football manager and former player. He has played for Hibernian, Celtic, AS Monaco, Everton and Fulham over a 19-year career. Collins also represented Scotland 58 times, with his most famous goal for Scotland being a first half equaliser against Brazil in the opening game of the 1998 World Cup Finals in France.
Steffen Freund
With 21 caps for the German national team and time spent playing at Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur, and Leicester City, to name a few, Steffen Freund has found a natural move into football punditry.
Freund has played professional roles off the pitch too. His experience assistant managing Tottenham and acting as manager for the U16 and U17 German national teams means he brings a tactical knowledge to the sport. Freund is an ambassador for UEFA.
Karen Carney, MBE
Karen Carney started her youth career at Birmingham City and made her debut at age 14, playing against Fulham. At the club level, Carney has since gone on to play for Arsenal, Chicago Red Stars, and Chelsea. Her time at Arsenal earned her a UEFA Women’s Champions League winner’s medal.
On the national level Carney has made 144 appearances with England and represented Great Britain at the Olympics five times. She was appointed MBE in 2017 for her services to football. Carney is a UEFA ambassador.
Nuno Gomes
Former professional footballer Nuno Gomes was one of Portugal’s most formidable strikers during the 90s and 2000s.
After starting his senior career at Boavista he went on to play for Benfica, Fiorentina, Braga, and Blackburn Rovers. He performed as a consistent scorer at the club and international levels, earning 143 caps overall for Portugal. Gomes also serves as a UEFA ambassador.