By Darren Griffiths
Worth sharing?
Goodison Park was the venue for the draw for the inaugural League of Heroes Armed Forces Veterans’ World Cup tournament on D-Day.
Representatives of the participating nations were in attendance on Thursday ahead of the World Cup next summer, and League of Heroes patron Chris Connel said: “We first started thinking about this about four years ago and it’s fantastic it’s all coming together.”
The games will take place in Woking next summer and Everton Ambassador Ian Snodin helped to make the draw.
Group A consists of Germany, Jamaica, Northern Ireland and Wales, while Group B will be Nepal, USA, England and Scotland.
“Some great games in there!” said Snods. “England v Scotland at any level is always one to look forward to.”
Fellow Blues Ambassador Graham Stuart was also at the draw.
“It doesn’t get better than representing your country at any level,” he said. “Here at Everton, we’ve got so much respect for all the veterans and the work that Everton in the Community does with them. This tournament is a terrific concept and the way it has brought different nations together is fantastic.”
As well as bringing international ex-military personnel together, there is a vitally important charitable angle to the World Cup.
“We are looking to help the homeless, and homeless veterans in particular because that’s a massive problem we have these days,” said Chris Connel. “It’s really important and it’s something that’s really close to my heart. We want these people to feel looked after the service that they’ve given us.”
There was a wonderfully convivial atmosphere as the draw took place in the Park End at Goodison and Chris stressed the camaraderie between ex-military of the different countries is an essential part of the whole project.
“It’s fabulous. Hard to control sometimes, and they won’t mind me saying that, and the games will be very competitive,” he added. “If anybody rocks up to these games expecting them to be like a testimonial kickabout will get a shock!”
Ashley Doyle, a member of the England squad and a regular attendee at the Everton in the Community Veterans’ Hub said: “We can’t wait for it to start now after seeing the draw. There will be some great games, very competitive and we’re confident of doing well.”
The Club’s official charity, Everton in the Community, supports ex-forces personnel and their families with a dedicated weekly programme which promotes physical activity, tackles social isolation and supports veterans’ mental health.
The provision – which now also includes a dedicated group for female veterans – provides a safe space for those with a military background to open conversations on their mental wellbeing alongside like-minded veterans, which is vitally important for some veterans who may find the switch back to ‘civilian’ life challenging.
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