Gareth Southgate has sent a message of support to Jewish students organising a charity football match on Holocaust Remembrance Day to raise money for Ukraine.
On Thursday, the University of Leeds Jewish football team, Hapoel Hyde Park, will play against students from the Birmingham JSoc, and have raised over £800 for World Jewish Relief’s Ukraine Crisis Appeal so far, smashing their original target of £500.
In a video message ahead of the game, the England manager has praised their efforts fundraising for a “great cause”, wishing the team “good luck”.
Mr Southgate said: "Hi there. Gareth Southgate here. Just wanted to wish everyone involved with Hapoel Hyde Park the very best of luck with your fundraising.
'You're raising money for a great cause'
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) April 27, 2022
England manager @GarethSouthgate has sent a video message of support to Jewish students organising a charity football match to raise money for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/Oa6w59k78x
"I know it's an important day for you and you're raising money for a great cause. Good luck with everything, and well done."
Third-year University of Leeds student, Jack Isaacs, told The JC how he reacted when he first saw the video: "It was just the biggest shock because I was not expecting anything like that."
Supported by the UJS and the University Jewish Chaplaincy, the game will take place on Yom HaShoah, the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Organisers wrote that they wanted to use the game “to remember what our community faced during the Holocaust, whilst celebrating our ability to take part in such an event as our community has rebuilt in the years since.”
Their fundraising page is available here.
