London, UK, Tuesday, 1 February 2022: In an unexpected closing Transfer Window move, Roberto Carlos and Eni Aluko have signed for Bull in the Barne United and Pevensey and Westham FC respectively, after the Sunday league teams entered a £5 raffle to sign the iconic players for one unforgettable match on eBay.
Allowing anyone associated with a Sunday League team to throw their hat into the ring, the eBay Dream Transfer provided the opportunity to sign a legend off eBay in support of Football Beyond Borders, a charity that helps disadvantaged young people in the community.
Roberto Carlos will play in Shrewsbury, Shropshire while Eni Aluko heads to Pevensey, East Sussex ,with everyone’s favourite midfielder Chris Kamara bringing his iconic commentary along to host the matches, which are being scheduled for February.
Ed Speller, manager and goalkeeper for Bull in the Barne United says: “Roberto Carlos is one of those legends who’s inspired so many young players’ love of the game. My jaw absolutely dropped when we found out Bull in the Barne won the Dream Transfer and he’ll be playing alongside the team in Shrewsbury. It should be a right laugh for him to come see what we’re made of, with some tense free kicks and hopefully no dodgy tackles!”
Madeleine Gorman, player for Pevensey And Westham FC says: “I still can’t believe we’re really going to have Eni Aluko playing up front for Pevensey And Westham, and no doubt putting away some amazing goals! It means so much to the team and all the friends and family that she’ll be coming into the community, especially the young girls who love the Lionesses. Hopefully we’re in for our first win of the season with Eni.”
Bull in the Barne United, who are named after the team players' local pub, have played in Shrewsbury for over 30 years. With a few injuries (and one or two big nights) causing absences in the Division 1 team, they experienced a slower start to the season. Now climbing the ranks in the league, Roberto Carlos will come off the bench for Bull in the Barne for one special match in aid of Football Beyond Borders.
Set up in 2020 by the club’s head coach and secretary, Pevensey And Westham FC provides a footballing opportunity for women of all ages and levels. With a variety of experience and sporting backgrounds, each member has brought their own attributes to the club’s first competitive season. For this unique match, England Lioness’ Eni Aluko, will lace up her boots once again to help this East Sussex club make their mark in the League.
Roberto Carlos says: “I'm excited to play for Bull in the Barne in Shrewsbury, paying homage to when I nearly signed for Birmingham City in the 90s, which is very close by. I've heard that the team's been down a number of players this season, so here’s hoping my training is enough to help them up their game and bring what Bull in the Barne’s fans want to see!"
Eni Aluko says: “I’m genuinely so excited to play for Pevensey And Westham F.C and return to where it all started - on the community football field. I'm ready to bring my A game to help these players make their mark as the new team on the block, so watch out for some goals!”
Founded in 2013, Football Beyond Borders was set up to change the lives of young people who may be passionate about football but are not fulfilling their potential at school and more than 2000 young people have already benefited from its programmes.
Matt Pywowar, Head of Fundraising at Football Beyond Borders says: “The response to our partnership with eBay for Charity on Dream Transfer has been fantastic. The campaign is proof of the uniting power football has, as each raffle entry will make a difference to support young people across the UK, and help us to support their communities in different ways. We look forward to bringing down our cohorts to watch the football legends in action and see a great match being played.”
Chris Kamara says: “Seeing the nation rally behind such a great cause, Football Beyond Borders, has been unbelievable. Offering equal opportunities to kids across the UK is so important and what better way to help them develop key skills than through the UK’s passion for the great game. I have no doubt that we’ll get a piece of magic from both Carlos and Aluko in these matches which I’ll be commentating first-hand!.“
ENDS
About eBay
eBay was the first online marketplace. Today, it’s a household name. A regular feature in lists of best loved brands, it connects millions of buyers and sellers, helping customers to find the item they’re looking for from its 1.7 billion listings. With 185 million buyers in 190 markets, trade is fast. In the UK, eBay serves 29m Brits a month.
eBay for Charity harnesses the power of eBay’s community to raise money for charitable organisations. Through the programme charities can sell items to boost their fundraising, sellers can donate a percentage of their proceeds to a charity of their choice, while buyers can add a donation to their purchase during checkout. To date, eBay’s community has raised £199 million for UK charities.
In 2020, eBay UK partnered with #PlayersTogether to raise £1M through the #ShirtsForHeroes charity raffle for NHS Charities Together. As the biggest raffle in the history of football, 7 tickets were sold every single minute. Following the success of this activation, #PlayersTogether and eBay came together once again to raffle match worn Black Lives Matter shirts for the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, under the banner of #ShirtsForChange.
About Football Beyond Borders
Football Beyond Borders (FBB) is an education charity, which uses football as a tool for engagement to tackle the root causes of low educational attainment, poor school attendance and challenging behaviour. FBB works with more than 1,000 Key Stage 3 students each week in partnership with 45 secondary schools across London, Essex and Greater Manchester. They use the power of football to enable young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to finish school with the skills and grades to make a successful transition into adulthood. Their model provides long term intensive support built around positive relationships and young people’s passions, in the classroom and beyond.
www.footballbeyondborders.org