Liverpool’s three biggest football clubs’ foundations (Liverpool FC Foundation, Everton Football in the Community and Tranmere Rovers Football in the Community) and the NGO Street League Liverpool came together to welcome The Ball to Liverpool at the famous Albert Docks next to the river Mersey on the hottest day in recorded history in the UK.
After a short meeting of all partners a plan was created: The Ball stays in the middle (what a surprise), the other partners enticing passersby by informing them about football’s equivalent to the Olympic Torch “The Ball” and inviting them to sign it.
The LFC Foundation gave away 250 reusable drinking bottles, part of their sustainability initiative. Dawn Georgeson, the Sport and Communities programme Manager at the LFC Foundation made this pledge on behalf of the foundation:
“I am here today to pledge what we are going to do this summer which is more sustainability, more climate action across all of our programmes. For me personally climate action and sustainability is important. We are giving away bottles to eradicate plastic so that people reuse and recycle them to limit the amount of single use plastics. One Ball, One Football, Spirit of Football:”
Liam French from Tranmere Rovers in the Community had this to say: “We endorse climate action, fair play and gender equality. Our pledge is to empower women through the various football sessions that we put on and to build strength in women’s football.”
For Everton FITC, it was a training exercise in how to use The Ball to engage with people. Ten young people will be taking a replica of The Ball to Qatar in October. For the first time ever The Ball itself is not going to the FIFA Men’s World Cup, instead our destination is the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The excitement of the 2022 EURO Championships, where the England team has been outstanding – grabbing the attention of the nation, was a good bridge to talk about The Ball’s inclusive journey for equality to New Zealand and the topic of gender equality in football.
Fittingly, we were talking about climate change and encouraging passers-by to sign-up to pledge to take climate action on the hottest day ever recorded in the UK. The conversations were varied: Greg, a Liverpudlian (person from Liverpool) working in Qatar was able to talk about the sustainability concept of the 2022 World Cup. Deborah, an Australian woman, said it was a privilege to sign The Ball because climate action is something she believes in and that she intended to follow The Ball’s progress all the way back to her home country. She confidently tipped Australia to win the 2023 World Cup.