Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, Ollie Watkins, Ben Mee, Juan Mata, Demi Stokes, Josie Green, Asmir Begovic and Ethan Ampadu kick off Green Football’s Great Save with secret charity shop kit drops around the country
Football communities across the UK come together to save kit from landfill and help protect the future of football from climate change.
- Around 100,000 tonnes of sportswear are relegated to UK landfills every year¹ – the equivalent of 951 football shirts per minute2.
- Football legends are encouraging people to sell on, re-use or donate old kit, rather than kick it to the back of the landfill net
- Green Football’s Great Save runs from 11th March – 2nd April 2025
London, 11th March, 2025; Top footballing talent are making a series of surprise charity shop drops across the country this week, donating their signed sports kit for fans to find. The initiative encourages others to give pre-loved sportswear a second life and highlights the importance of keeping kit in play.
The secret drops mark the start of Green Football’s Great Save, the world’s biggest climate-football campaign, which brings together the football community – fans, players, clubs, leagues, grassroots teams and schools – to take action to tackle climate change and protect the future of the game. This year is all about keeping sports kit in play for longer by donating, selling, reusing or upcycling – helping to reduce waste, save money, and support communities who may lack access to kit.
The surprise kit drop offs include:
- Jamie Carragher’s England shirt in Liverpool
- A Roy Keane signed Manchester United shirt in Manchester
- Ethan Ampadu’s signed first Leeds United captain shirt in Ripon
- Demi Stokes’ signed Newcastle United kit in Newcastle
- Ben Mee’s signed Brentford shirt in London
- Kris Boyd’s signed Kilmarnock shirt in Kilmarnock
- Josie Green’s Crystal Palace kit in Welwyn Garden City
Asmir Begović, Emma Ilijoski, Joleon Lescott, Juan Mata, Funso Ojo, David Prutton, Aaron Ramsey, Alexei Rojas, Luke Southwood, Ollie Watkins, Duncan Watmore and David Wheeler will also be taking part.
Ethan Ampadu, Leeds United said: “I’m donating the first shirt I wore after becoming Leeds United captain. It’s very special to me because it is a real honour to lead this club, and the pride I felt walking out at Elland Road in the first game of the season is something I’ll never forget. I’m donating such an important shirt because it’s an important campaign – one that will help make sure future generations can enjoy playing football like I have. Every year, a huge amount of sports kit gets thrown away, when it could be reused, repurposed, or passed on to someone who needs it. If each of us does something small to cut waste and give our sportswear a second life, we can make a big difference”.
Demi Stokes, Newcastle United Women added: “When I was younger, my mum paid for my football kit in monthly instalments, and we made sure it lasted for years. That experience taught me two things – how valuable and important it is to have access to good kit and why it’s important to keep reusing it. That’s why I’ve donated some Newcastle kit and trainers – I love the idea that instead of sitting unused, it can now help someone else stay in the game, while also reducing waste”.
During the campaign, fans can join their sporting heroes and win prizes by donating their old kit to charity, including official charity partner, The Salvation Army, which has dedicated shop drop off points and a kit postal service so fans can donate from the comfort of their own home. Supporters can also keep kit out of landfill by selling pre-loved sportswear on eBay, another Green Football partner. And from 20th March, fans will have the added opportunity of snapping up celebrity-owned sports kit in an exclusive eBay auction, together with limited edition Raeburn Green Football KIT:BAGs upcycled from used football shirts. Many clubs will also be hosting Green Football donation bins during the campaign.
Every year, an estimated 100,000 tonnes of sportswear ends up in UK landfills¹ – the equivalent to 951 football shirts every minute2. Clothing sent to landfill can take decades to break down and contribute to methane emissions—a powerful greenhouse gas which fuels climate change. Keeping kit in play for just nine more months could reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprint by up to 30%.³
Climate change is threatening the future of football, with the FA estimating that 100,000 grassroots games are already cancelled every year due to pitch conditions. By 2050, one in four English football clubs can expect partial or total stadium flooding each year⁴.
Sarah Jacobs, Green Football Director, said: “Football has an unequalled power to drive change, and it’s incredible to see so many clubs, fans, grassroots teams and players coming together to help save kit from landfill. Whether it’s donating a shirt or finding a new purpose for old kit, every action contributes to reducing waste, promoting sustainability in football and helping to protect the game we love. There’s a huge opportunity for the footballing community to lead the way in sport when it comes to kit. None of us are perfect, but by being on the journey together, we can make a real difference.”
More than 100 clubs across the UK and in Australia are set to take part in Green Football’s Great Save; encouraging fans to take action, showcasing their own sustainability work, holding Green Football matches and hosting special kit activations, including on-site repair services, sewing lessons with players and upholstering hospitality boxes with old shirts. Thousands of schools will be holding special Green Football lessons, and County FAs will be supporting their 18,000 grassroots clubs to participate in reselling, resharing and donating pre-loved kit and footwear.
By taking part in Green Football’s Great Save, fans can win prizes including a year’s free Sky Sports and match tickets. They can also score goals for their club in the Green Football Cup, where fans help their team climb up the leaderboard by taking green pledges and actions, such as travelling greener, eating more veg and saving energy.
For more information on all the activities and how to get involved, go to www.greenfootball.org
Green Football’s Great Save is co-founded by Sky Sports, TNT Sports, the Football Supporters Association, Pledgeball, Count Us In and exceptional. It is backed by the FA, various EFL clubs, WPLL, SPFL, SWFL, the PFA in the UK and Australia, and PGMOL.
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For more information or talent interviews please contact Rob Baney / 07794 093835 [email protected] or Jane Hill / [email protected] / 07798 605799
NOTES TO EDITORS
Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, Ollie Watkins, Ben Mee, Juan Mata, Demi Stokes, Josie Green, Asmir Begovic and Ethan Ampadu kick off Green Football’s Great Save with secret charity shop kit drops around the country
- Green Football’s partners are Christopher Raeburn / RÆBURN, eBay, Goal Click, Let’s Go Zero, Levy UK + Ireland, Match of the Day (MOTD), MatchWornShirts, Push Gilbey Photography, Rio Ferdinand Foundation, Sky Schools, Sodexo Live! UK & Ireland, The Salvation Army, Usborne Publishing, We Fix Kits and Zurich Resilience Solutions.
- It is also supported by Brent Council, C40, Caudwell Children, Common Goal, Dan Freedman, Final Third, Football for Future, GlobeScan, ITV, the Met Office, Network 10, Planet League and Push Gilbey Photography.
- Please see HERE for references to statistics.
- Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL) is the trading arm (and a wholly owned subsidiary) of The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland. SATCoL actively encourages the reuse and recycling of donated clothing and other household items through over 250 charity stores, and a nationwide network of around 9,000 clothing banks.
