Football Aid

Passion for football, compassion for others

Founded in 2000, Football Aid is the brainchild of Scottish businessman Craig Paterson, who sought to devise an exciting and innovative way to raise considerable funds for charity. Football Aid benefits not only football league and club supported charitable initiatives, but also Field of Dreams, a registered charity whose own dream is to support research for a cure and improved management of Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes.

Football Aid raises money by hosting events at the UK's largest clubs from across Scotland to Southampton, allowing supporters the chance to 'Live the Dream' and play where their heroes have played in an officiated 90-minute game of football, on the hallowed turf of the club they support. The money raised is distributed to many charities, locally, nationally and around the globe.

Football Aid organises a day to remember forever - including arriving at the players' entrance, meeting their captains and managers for the day, changing into their own personalised first team strips and having family and friends share their experience as they run through the tunnel, onto the hallowed turf, and into their own piece of club history. Each team has a former player and in many cases a former player/manager managing and shouting instructions from the touchline.

Our second international event with the SFA and our sponsors BT is in June and will give fans the chance to wear the revered dark blue of Scotland and play for the country at Hampden. Danny McGrain, Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen and Craig Brown are just a few of the legends who showed their support to Football Aid last year by playing and managing in the event.

One of our aims in the coming year is to attempt to exploit the opportunity within the other home nations of England, Wales and Ireland, further driving our fundraising and allowing more charities to benefit from the subsequent grant awards created.

So, if you dream of being a defensive dynamo like Campbell, a midfield maestro like Lampard or a scoring sensation like Rooney, visit www.footballaid.com and find out how you can make your dreams come true.