'THE SOCCER FUND' SOCCERBOOK OFFICIAL CHARITY PARTNER

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English Premier League giants Chelsea FC played a post-season exhibition match against Mexican team Club America at  Stanford Stadium in front of 47,000 spectators, resulting in a 2-1 victory for Chelsea FC.

 As some of you already know, I am a volunteer  consultant/strategic advisor for global sports charity Right to Play. Carine has also donated much time to helping this fantastic organization which is the official global charity partner for Chelsea FC, the MLS  and other organizations. Zidane is now also an athlete ambassador for Right to Play. I was pleased to have been involved in the match  promotion for the event owners and assisting with VIP logistics for personal invitees and guests of Right to Play. Myself and several of my associates were instrumental in promoting the game to the Bay Area  soccer community and several corporations in Silicon Valley.  Many  VIP’s in soccer, sport and business attended as guests of Right to Play and as personal guests of mine. American Football legendary  quarterback Steve Young was our guests and enjoyed his first ever soccer  game. He recently toured Ghana as a Right to Play athlete ambassador so  it was great to see him participate in another Right to Play related  activity. Other guests included sports franchise owners,  technology executives, CEO's and media organizations, US Club Soccer and  Norcal officials as well as UK Director and head of Global Football for  Right to Play, Chris Robinson who we have enjoyed working with both in  Palo Alto and Los Angeles.

 The entire Chelsea FC team (John Terry,  Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Joe Cole, Didier Drogba, Andriy  Shevchenko, Arjen Robben and Peter Cech) were in Palo Alto along with  coach Jose Mourinho. The team flew up from Los Angeles arriving at  midday before departing at 10 p.m from San Jose airport the same day and  back to LA. 

Just before kick off we enlisted the help of several PSV Union F.C parents who were waiting next to the Chelsea FC dressing room  for their children to return from the field and promptly put them to  work placing the RTP 'Red Ball’s' into the hands of each player from  both teams. So when you saw the players kicking the balls into the  stands, you know how they got them in their hands! We also provided a  data collection service for the event owners as well as pre-game  activities on behalf of Right to Play. I was also very pleased to  involve PSV Union FC staff, players and family members in various  activities surrounding the game. For example, we were tasked with  enlisting 100 volunteers, each receiving 3 free tickets and a t-shirt  for their efforts to distribute 40,000 postcards at half time a chance  to win a trip to England. Moments prior to the game I arranged a 5  minute Right to Play video to be displayed on the big screen at  Stanford, as well as large Right to Play/Red Ball banner which we  designed and created personally on behalf of Right to Play (the first  and only one made in the world!) which I originally had intended to  cover the entire center circle. However due to time and financial  constraints we were only able to display a smaller 9ft radius banner.  Nevertheless the banner was prominent and attractive enough and was carried onto the field behind both teams by members of PSV Union FC club  players seen positioned here (27 sec mark) with the banner behind both  teams after they proudly walked the Right To Play banner onto the field,  which, I need to add is another ‘first’. This is the first time the  Right to Play banner was walked onto any soccer field in the world which  will become increasingly more popular as Right to Play forms more  alliances with sporting teams and leagues.

 A special thanks to Carine who did tremendous work before, during and after the game and also to Chris Robinson who was issued a media pass to take photos for me  for Right to Play. Their work was greatly appreciated.


In  Los Angeles, we conducted a Right to Play Coaching demonstration run by myself and Head of Right to Play UK and Global Soccer, Chris Robinson, Carine Ireland and Lorrie Fair at UCLA next to the Chelsea F.C training  field. We had arranged for sixty elite youth players from the Los Angeles area (FC LA Barcelona club) to participate in the clinic-20  being coached by us in a special Right To Play session and the other 40  being coached by Chelsea FC youth coaches as a backdrop to the  proceedings. Chelsea F.C players Michael Essien, Kalou and Diarra, all  Right To Play Athlete Ambassadors made appearances for the players and  afterwards coach Jose Mourinho allowed the entire group to watch a  closed training session with the 20 of our Right to Play players being  allowed a private autograph session with every Chelsea FC player, one of  whom was given a wrist band by Didier Drogba. We also had a guest  appearance from Los Angeles Galaxy assistant coach who spoke with the  players about Right to Play. 

On July 17, we arranged for all Chelsea  FC and Korean team Suwong carry Right to Play 'Red Balls' on the field  and kick them into the stands as they did at Stanford a few days  earlier. The Adidas/Right to Play tent had excellent placement inside  the stadium also.

On July 18th, Carine Ireland, Chris Robinson,  Christopher Sullivan and I attended the Chelsea FC team party as guests  of Chelsea FC where we met up with some old friends and acquaintances  and made new acquaintances. The view was spectacular high in the hills  overlooking Los Angeles and the guest, including players and staff all  had a few hours to relax from their daily regimen of training and games  and enjoy the views.  Far from children or people in need, it was  important for us to remember how fortunate we were to be in good health  with no apparent care in the world. It was back on the ground and to  reality for the next few days seeking new Right to Play partners and  sponsors after seeing the Hollywood set ‘Paint the Town Blue”.

 On July  21st, we attended a Right To Play function in Manhattan Beach with Johann where Right to Play founder and CEO Johann Koss, Global Football Director Chris  Robinson, Adidas sponsor reps and other Right To Play staff hosted  several actors and producers as well as USA National team players Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe. Afterwards Johann, Carine, Chris Robinson and  I drove to the Home Depot Center for the Chelsea FC vs. Los Angeles  Galaxy game and David Beckham’s eagerly awaited debut. Our Right To Play  attendees were distributed around the full stadium most eagerly  awaiting the debut of David Beckham who unfortunately played the final  15 minutes due to a swollen ankle.  Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe sat  with Carine, Chris and I with Abby really showing her soccer passion and  enthusiasm with most of the entire USA women’s national team including Heather OReilly cheering on next to us. Right to Play and Adidas arranged for the Chelsea FC players to kick their Right to Play ‘Red Balls’ into the stadium just before kick off as well as having excellent presence at  the Right to Play exhibitor booth on the concourse. 

After a fortuitous  meeting we arranged for Right to Play’s Johann Koss and Chris Robinson  with an extremely supportive Major League Soccer Deputy Commissioner  Ivan Gazidas on the stadium concourse area, Carine, Chris and I had to  rush Johann to Los Angeles airport for his flight to Thailand for yet  another journey for this extraordinary person who had recently completed  his participation in the ‘Gigathlon’ helping raise $125,000 for Right  to Play. It was the end of the tour for Chelsea FC who headed directly  to the airport for London and for Carine and I too. We also said our  goodbyes to friend Christopher Sullivan who left for Chicago to cover Blanco’s debut in the Chicago vs. Celtic match (1-1) on Fox Soccer Channel, not before we had a kick around at Christopher’s hotel with a  Right to Play 'Red Ball'! In all we enjoyed helping Right to Play meet  new friends and supporters and were happy to have played a small role in  promoting Right to Play to American soccer goers. Perhaps the biggest  enjoyment was seeing our PSV Union FC players take the field with the  Chelsea FC and Club America players and to also help raise funding for  Right to Play. We have some major Right to Play activities coming our  way which may prove to be even more exciting than the Chelsea FC tour  …watch this space!  If you have any ideas or suggestions on how we can  help raise funds and awareness for Right to Play, please contact me at  your convenience. 

On July 19th at the MLS All Star game in Denver,  Right to Play announced its affiliation with the MLS receiving a mention  at the Commissioner's Press Conference. Right to Play announced the names of 20 MLS athlete ambassadors before the game. Spectators were  handed an Adidas/Right to Play brochure upon entering the stadium along  with the MLS/ Right to Play postcard. Before the game, the Adidas/ Right to Play tent had excellent placement inside the stadium. The ceremony  featured an in-stadium introduction and explanation of Right To Play,  airing of Right to Play PSA on the stadium screen with logo, and all  Celtic and MLS players walking onto the field with Right to Play ‘Red  Balls’ and holding them during the national anthems. During halftime  Right to Play received another PSA on stadium screens.

RIGHT TO PLAY NEWS




ADIDAS LAUNCH RIGHT TO PLAY ‘RED BALL’ CAMPAIGN

ZIDANE SIGNS FOR RIGHT TO PLAY with Johann Koss

BUY AN ADIDAS RED BALL



READ ABOUT CHELSEA FC RIGHT TO PLAY AMBASSADORS 

READ ABOUT CHELSEA’S MICHAEL ESSIEN’S RECENT VISIT TO GHANA

RIGHT TO PLAY ACTIVITIES AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOR THE CHELSEA FC VS CLUB AMERICA GAME

MLS ANNOUNCE RIGHT TO PLAY PARTNERSHIP AT ALL STAR GAME

 

RIGHT TO PLAY RED BALL AT STANFORD STADIUM



RIGHT TO PLAY RED BALL AT STANFORD STADIUM

GARY, CARINE, CHRIS & LORRIE RIGHT TO PLAY AT UCLA- JULY 15TH

 

LORRIE FAIR AND GARY IRELAND IN RIGHT TO PLAY/CHELSEA PHOTO



GARY IRELAND LETTER FROM PRESIDENT OF UNION FC- TO RIGHT TO PLAY