Kevin Pietersen to Play Against England in Soccer Aid For Unicef Match at Old Trafford
Download Kevin Pietersen VTs and High-Res Imagery here
- Kevin Pietersen announces he will play against Robbie Williams’ England at Soccer Aid for Unicef on Sunday 10th June
- Tickets for the match are on sale now. Visit manutd.com/socceraid or call 0161 444 2018
- All public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef will be matched by the UK Government
- Soccer Aid for Unicef will be broadcast exclusively on ITV
16th April 2018 – Kevin Pietersen, one of the greatest batsmen in English cricket history, today makes a sensational change of allegiance as he announces he will play for the Soccer Aid World XI side against England in this year’s Soccer Aid for Unicef match on ITV.
One of the heroes of England’s famous Ashes win of 2005 and a former captain of the England test match side, Pietersen is also known as the master of the switch-hit and his decision to go against England by joining Usain Bolt’s Soccer Aid World XI at Old Trafford on Sunday 10th June will be seen as the most shocking switch of his illustrious and storied career.
The announcement was made exclusively on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, with Pietersen sending a message to long-term friend and twitter nemesis Piers Morgan, warning him not to “choke on your cornflakes”.
Kevin Pietersen, Soccer Aid Word XI said: “The loyalty I showed to the Three Lions throughout my cricket career was undeniable, but Soccer Aid for Unicef is a game like no other, so I’m prepared to play against England if it means I can raise money for Unicef. Knowing that donations will be matched pound for pound by the UK government, doubling the difference for children in danger around the world, I have double the motivation.”
“When I heard that Soccer Aid for Unicef was back, my first reaction was to offer my skills to Robbie’s England team, but any chance to get under Piers Morgan’s skin shouldn’t be missed so I can’t wait to get out on the pitch at Old Trafford on Sunday 10th June and receive my first cap for the Soccer Aid World XI.”
The British Government will match all donations made by the public to Soccer for Unicef pound for pound. This means that for every £1 donated, the UK Government will also donate £1, doubling the difference for children in danger all around the world.
International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, said: “We are excited to be involved once again this year in what promises to be the biggest Soccer Aid for Unicef to date. The UK Government will match public donations pound-for-pound, meaning that, together, we can double the number of children around the world who will benefit from Soccer Aid.”
Over the coming weeks, the England vs. Soccer Aid World XI rivalry is set to intensify, with some of football’s biggest legends and celebrities set to join Kevin Pitersen and fellow A-listers Usain Bolt, Sir Mo Farah, Robbie Williams, Olly Murs, Mark Wright, Gordon Ramsay, Brendon Cole, Joe Wicks, Clarence Seedorf, and Robert Pirès, in what is setting up to be a game like no other.
The international friendly match will take place at Old Trafford on Sunday 10th June, just four days before the FIFA World Cup in Russia begins. Tickets are on sale now and the game will be broadcast live on ITV. Kick-off scheduled for 20:00 BST.
Soccer Aid for Unicef is the original England vs. Soccer Aid World XI charity match. It was launched and co-founded in 2006 by Unicef UK Ambassador Robbie Williams and Jonathan Wilkes, and has previously featured A-list stars such as Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Mike Myers and Niall Horan, plus footballing royalty including Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldinho. Soccer Aid for Unicef 2018 is set to be bigger and better than ever.
Unicef, the world’s leading organisation for children, has joined forces with ITV to make the pro-celebrity football match bigger and better than ever, with more potential to raise money and vital support for children in danger. Soccer Aid for Unicef is produced by Initial, part of Endemol Shine UK, for ITV.
100% of all public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef will be doubled by the UK Government, up to a total of £5 million, and go towards supporting the vital work protecting children around the world. So far £24 million has already been raised through Soccer Aid over the last 12 years.
Swiss watchmaker Hublot and Global Sports Brand PUMA are Official Soccer Aid World XI Partners, with both brands acting as kit sponsors for the Soccer Aid World XI team.
Tickets for the Soccer Aid for Unicef football match on Sunday 10th June 2018 at Old Trafford are available now at www.manutd.com/socceraid or by calling 0161 444 2018 with tickets priced between £10 and £50.
Visit socceraid.org.uk to find out more and follow @SoccerAid on Twitter and Instagram, ‘Soccer Aid’ on Facebook and use the hashtag #SoccerAid for regular player and match updates.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information on Soccer Aid for Unicef please call 0207 375 6030 or email [email protected]
- To download Kevin Pietersen films and high res images please click here
To buy tickets for Soccer Aid for Unicef match at Old Trafford on Sunday 10th June 2018, please visit www.manutd.com/socceraid or call 0161 444 2018. Calls will be charged at your local rate.
Ticket prices range from £20 to £50 for adults, with under 16’s priced at £10 and over 65’s half price on all seats. Hospitality packages also available.
Ticket sales are not eligible for UK Aid Match.
To donate to Soccer Aid for Unicef – and receive UK Aid Match – please visit: www.unicef.org.uk/donate/socceraid-for-unicef
About Soccer Aid Productions Limited
The multi-stakeholder project of Soccer Aid for Unicef will be run by newly-formed Soccer Aid Productions, a collaboration between Unicef UK and Triple S Events part of the Triple S Sports & Entertainment Group.
About ITV Responsibility
ITV, as an integrated producer broadcaster, creates, owns and distributes high-quality content on multiple platforms. We operate the largest commercial family of channels in the UK and deliver our content through traditional television broadcasting as well as on demand via the ITV Hub. For more information please visit itvplc.com.
ITV’s social purpose is to use its influence on popular culture to create positive change. Our on-screen social cause strategy is focussed on health and wellbeing, to inspire, engage and empower people to make a difference to their own and other people’s health. For more information please visit itvresponsibility.com.
About Initial
Initial is one of the UK’s leading entertainment content creators and producers. Part of Endemol Shine UK, the UK’s largest television production group, Initial is behind hit shows such as Big Brother, Tenable and Total Wipeout. Initial has been the producer of Soccer Aid since its inception in 2006 and has produced all 6 events for ITV
About UK Government Aid Match
Donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef made by the UK public from Friday 6th April until Friday 6th July 2018 will be matched by the UK Government up to £5 million. UK Aid Match funding will go towards UNICEF programmes in Swaziland and Lesotho.
The UK Aid Match scheme is run by the Department for International Development, and brings charities, the British public and the UK government together to collectively change the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. For every £1 donated to a selected charity appeal, the government will also contribute £1 of UK aid to enable the charity to go further in changing and saving lives.