England football players will wear shirts without names on the back in the second half of tonight’s friendly game against Belgium.
The move is part of an ongoing partnership between Alzheimer’s Society and the Football Association to raise awareness of dementia.
As names disappear from the shirts from one half to the next, the Alzheimer’s Society and the Football Association hope to highlight how people with dementia can lose precious memories.
Nameless shirts were first worn as part of this partnership for a match against Switzerland in March 2022.
Following the match, the custom England shirts will be auctioned to raise funds to support Alzheimer’s Society research.
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The charity’s chief executive Kate Lee said: “We hope this striking gesture with the England player’s shirts will once again get fans across the country talking, and thinking about the signs and symptoms of dementia”.
“By using football to shine a spotlight and increase awareness of dementia symptoms, we hope to not only encourage fans to donate towards our early diagnosis research, but also to support their loved ones just as much as they support their football team.
“This means taking crucial first steps in seeking a diagnosis if they suspect someone they care about may be affected. A diagnosis can be daunting but it’s better to know.”
