The blues players will be wearing a special one-off kit following their current sponsors, No5 Barristers’ Chambers, donating the space to help Headway raise awareness of brain injuries in sports.
Alongside the players wearing the Headway shirts, the majority of match day mascots will have special kits with the Headway logo emblazoned on the front and the charity’s branding will also be in and around the stadium.
Headway Birmingham and Solihull volunteers and service users will be at the game as well, promoting its services to the local community, with any funds raised on the day going to the local group.
Headway Ambassador and Team GB Paralympics Football Team Captain, Jack Rutter (pictured right) will be the special guest at the game - which takes place on Saturday, 18 March. He will be interviewed by Sky News presenter, Chris Skudder at half-time.
Jack was on Birmingham City’s books before an unprovoked assault and punch to the back of the head changed his life forever. Jack fell to the ground, striking his head on the kerb. After spending two weeks in a coma in intensive care, Jack was left with a traumatic brain injury and began the slow and arduous task of rebuilding his life with help from Headway.
Showing tremendous courage and tenacity, Jack has since gone on to achieve great things, not least captaining the GB Football team at the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro last summer.
The Blues first team squad will also provide the charity with signed playing shirts to be used for auctions and competitions all designed to get people talking and more aware of the impact of brain injuries.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Birmingham City to raise awareness of brain injury,” said Luke Griggs, Director of Communications at Headway.
“We all think ‘it will never happen to me’, but the reality is that a brain injury can happen to anyone at any time and the impact can be devastating. Indeed, every 90 seconds someone in the UK is admitted to hospital with a brain injury.
“There has been a huge amount of good work taking place to raise awareness of the risk of concussion in sport, and Birmingham City’s support of Headway’s own Concussion Aware campaign highlights the club’s positive attitude to this important issue.
“We would like to thank the club and No5 Barristers’ Chambers for their generous support and look forward to meeting fans at the game.”
Tony McDaid, Chief Executive and Director of Clerking at No5 Barristers’ Chambers, said: “We have been working with Headway over many years and continue to marvel at the level of support they offer to individuals and their families post brain injury.
“The current ‘Sit it Out’ campaign is an initiative that both we at No5, and our friends at Birmingham City Football Club, fully support.”
Head of Commercial at Birmingham City Football Club, Ian Dutton, commented: “When No5 Barristers’ Chambers approached us with the idea, we were delighted to support the campaign. As a football club, the safety of our players at all levels is of the upmost importance and we wanted to do as much as we could to raise more awareness on the impact of concessions in sport.
“We look forward to welcoming the Headway team and Ambassador Jack Rutter to the game for what should be a very special occasion.”
(Top photo: Headway's Anna Kerr with Birmingham City FC Manager Gianfranco Zola)
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