More than £404k raised for Nordoff Robbins, adding to £7 million total previously donated
Robin van Persie goal voted goalscorers’ favourite
A HOST of Premier League stars and legends – including Ryan Giggs, Alan Shearer and Michael Owen – came together at last night’s Legends of Football event to celebrate 25 seasons of the Premier League and raise money for music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.
Last night marked the 21st year of the Legends of Football Dinner, previously known as the hmv Football Extravaganza.
This event has to date raised more than £7 million for Nordoff Robbins – the leading music therapy charity dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people.
The charity supports thousands of people with a wide range of needs and challenges, and last night a further £404k was raised through ticket sales, auctions and sponsorship to support the vital work that it does.
This year’s event celebrated 25 seasons of the Premier League and marked the achievements of the ‘100 Club’ – the exclusive group of 25 players who have scored a century or more Premier League goals.
Each of the players nominated what they thought to be their best Premier League goal, and the players then voted on which of those 25 was the best goal overall.
Robin van Persie‘s goal for Manchester United against Aston Villa won the vote and he was given Premier League 100 Club Greatest Goal Award.
Of his accolade, he said: “It’s a huge honour. Especially because it is picked by players from the hardest league in the world.
“It is so difficult against any team in the Premier League. When I was a little boy I didn’t think of standing here, I just wanted to play football.
“With a goal like that, it takes a bit of courage really as you don’t know what’s going to happen”
The event also paid tribute to and celebrated the game’s greatest players and managers, remembering historic goals and saves, and the heartaches and heroes who have helped to shape 25 amazing seasons of the Premier League.
One honouree, Dion Dublin, came to visit Nordoff Robbins ahead of the event to experience music therapy first-hand.
He said: “Coming here was a real eye-opener. Watching the session I did and seeing what the children are getting out of it – to them it’s a huge part of their life now.
“If I was to talk to someone about why they should support Nordoff Robbins I would say you are making a difference – this whole place is just itching to help people, so don’t wait around.”
Premier League executive chair, Richard Scudamore, added: “The Premier League is proud to help put on the Legends of Football event each year to raise money for Nordoff Robbins.
“The members of the 100 Club were duly recognised for the role they’ve played during the Premier League’s 25 seasons and I hope every football fan in the room tonight enjoyed looking back on some of the great goals as much as I did.”
The evening has been supported for much of its two-decade history by hmv, and Legends of Football chair, Brian McLaughlin, just recently announced that the entertainment retailer has extended its headline sponsorship for a further three years.
Paul McGowan, chief executive of Hilco Capital, which owns hmv, comments: “hmv helped found this event and we are proud to continue this remarkable partnership, which has done so much to support the vital work of Nordoff Robbins while also celebrating the shared passions that exist between football and music and entertainment.
“We congratulate all of our honourees this evening for all of their achievements.”
Brian McLaughlin, chair of The Legends of Football, adds: “That the Legends of Football event has grown into one of the biggest and most enjoyable fundraisers in the calendar is due in large measure to the generosity of our footballing and entertainment communities.
“I am especially grateful to hmv and Hilco, the Premier League, Geoff Shreeves and Sky Sports, PPL and the Legends of Football Fundraising Committee for their continued support.
“We are also hugely appreciative of all the individuals and organisations who attended this year’s event and have helped to contribute to the vital music therapy work of Nordoff-Robbins.”
Julie Whelan, CEO of Knordoff Robbins, says: “We are so proud to be part of the Legends of Football Dinner – as a charity we rely on the events like these to help us continue our life-changing work; we will be eternally grateful for every penny which has been raised for us through the Legends of Football Dinner and we thank everyone involved for their invaluable support. Congratulations from us all at Nordoff Robbins to all those honoured tonight!”
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100 Club members and their nominated favourite goals:
Player
Premier League goals (* thus far)
Favourite goal
Alan Shearer
260
Long-range volley
Newcastle United v Everton, 23 November 2002
Wayne Rooney
194*
Overhead kick
Manchester United v Manchester City, 12 February 2011
Andrew Cole
187
Title-winning goal, final day of the season
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 16 May 1999
Frank Lampard
177
Title-winning goal
Bolton Wanderers v Chelsea, 30 April 2005
Thierry Henry
175
Long dribble to beat defenders
Arsenal v Liverpool, 9 April 2004
Robbie Fowler
163
Overhead kick
Charlton Athletic v Liverpool, 19 May 2001
Michael Owen
150
Third goal of the hat-trick
Liverpool v Newcastle United, 30 August 1998
Les Ferdinand
149
Long-range kick
Queens Park Rangers v Manchester United, 10 December 1994
Jermain Defoe
147*
His fifth goal of the match
Tottenham Hotspur v Wigan Athletic, 22 November 2009
Teddy Sheringham
146
First goal of hat-trick
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United, 3 December 1995
Robin van Persie
144
Title-winning volley
Manchester United v Aston Villa, 22 April 2013
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
127
Volley
Manchester United v Chelsea, 11 September 2000
Robbie Keane
126
First of two goals, dribbles around defenders
Tottenham Hotspur v Blackburn Rovers, 5 March 2006
Nicolas Anelka
125
Goal to win the Golden Boot
Sunderland v Chelsea, 24 May 2009
Dwight Yorke
123
Chipped penalty, last goal for Aston Villa
Aston Villa v Arsenal, 10 May 1998
Steven Gerrard
120
Long range half-volley
Liverpool v Middlesbrough, 30 April 2005
Ian Wright
113
Dribbled past two defenders
Arsenal v Everton, 28 August 1993
Dion Dublin
111
Overhead kick
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa, 15 April 2000
Emile Heskey
110
Long-range into top corner, PL debut, second goal
Southampton v Leicester City, 21 August 1996
Ryan Giggs
109
Second ever PL goal for Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United, 19 September 1992
Paul Scholes
107
Long-range volley in off the crossbar
Aston Villa v Manchester United, 23 December 2006
Darren Bent
106
Chests and chips it over the keeper, first of two goals
Arsenal v Aston Villa, 15 May 2011
Sergio Agüero
105*
Title winning goal in extra time
Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers, 13 May 2012
Didier Drogba
104
Chests it, turns and half-volley
Chelsea v Liverpool, 17 September 2006
Matt Le Tissier
100
Long range shot into top corner
Blackburn Rovers v Southampton, 10 December 1994
Enquiries
Rae Peal Rae@Legendsoffootball.org.uk 07734 088 464
Julie Harriss bookings@legendsoffootball.org.uk 07836 362 848
Alexandra Dallas adallas@premierleague.com 0207 864 9190
Gennaro Castaldo gennaro.castaldo@bpi.co.uk 020 7803 1326 / 07801 194 139
Tanya Gerreli tanya.gerreli@nordoff-robbins.org.uk 0207 428 2754
Notes to editors:
About hmv – http://www.hmv.com/ @hmvtweets
Established in 1921, hmv is one of the world’s best-known homes of entertainment. With stores across the UK, Canada and Ireland, franchises in the Middle East and Asia and global online and digital operations set to launch, hmv is thriving under Hilco’s ownership.
About Nordoff Robbins – http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk/music-therapy @NordoffRobbins1
Nordoff Robbins is the leading independent music therapy charity, dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people. It supports thousands of people through its centres and working in partnership with a wide range of organisations including care homes, schools and hospitals.
In the hands of a trained practitioner, music therapy can be used to support people living with a wide range of needs. It can help a child with autism to communicate, unlock forgotten memories for those living with dementia or provide comfort for someone facing a terminal illness. Music therapy can be life-changing for so many people.
About The Premier League – http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb.html @premierleague
The Premier League aims to play the most competitive and compelling football possible, inspiring fans, communities, and partners alike and invigorating lives across the globe. Last season, 13.9 million fans attended matches with record stadium occupancy of 96.3 per cent. Across nine months of the year, 380 matches are available to watch in over 900 million homes in 190 countries.
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