NewsLegends charity match raises almost £1.2 million for LFC Foundation

The figure is the highest total ever raised for a single legends match, with 100 per cent of the funds going directly to the club’s official charity to support the work it does in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

This year’s game saw a host of former Reds take on AFC Ajax Legends in front of a sold-out Anfield, with almost 60,000 supporters attending – the event’s largest ever crowd.

The hosts were led by a management team of LFC legends and former England boss and Reds fan Eriksson, who realised a lifelong dream to lead out his boyhood team in front of a packed stadium.

“It was an incredible day and something I will never forget, and to know that the occasion helped to raise so much for the LFC Foundation makes it even more special for me,” said Eriksson.

“It is an unbelievable amount of money that has been raised for the LFC Foundation, everybody knows how special the LFC family is and everyone has come together again here to help to raise so much for a fantastic cause, which will help so many people in the city and beyond.

“I learnt a lot about the work of the LFC Foundation while in Liverpool for the game and the work that they do is absolutely fantastic.”

Funds raised from the game will help support the ongoing work of LFC Foundation in the Liverpool City Region and beyond, with a large proportion of the money going towards its education programmes.

LFC Foundation currently works with more than 120 schools across the region through a variety of programmes that help to keep more children in education, while teaching them life skills and tackling a number of social issues, such as involvement in gangs and crime, as well as support with their mental health.

Absences from school have nearly doubled in the Liverpool City Region since the COVID-19 pandemic began and LFC Foundation is working with local schools, teachers and pupils to try to reverse this trend.

Its ‘Onside’ programme enables young people to engage in school through a bespoke curriculum developed and adapted to suit their needs. The programme is delivered by LFC Foundation staff, who use the power of the badge to engage with young people and help them on their journey.

Matt Parish, chief executive of LFC Foundation, said: “The legends games are always special occasions and none more so than this year, to have a sell-out crowd and our highest attendance was incredible and to have reached our highest total raised from a single game is fantastic. Those funds will help us to continue to make a real difference in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

“A large percentage of those funds will go towards our education work and it will enable us to expand our programmes across more schools, train more staff and positively impact more local pupils, which can only benefit the whole city for the future.

“We are extremely grateful to all of the supporters who came to the game and to all of the players and management that took part. Days like those really show the best of Liverpool Football Club.”

A proportion of the funds from the game will also go towards Forever Reds, the club’s official former players association, which provides ongoing support for former players of all ages.