News & Match Reports

Football Aid is excited to announce a new partnership with Specsavers Opticians, who will be sponsoring all refereeing officials taking part in this year's Scottish events.

Specsavers already sponsor all the registered officials within the SFA, providing funding for the coaching and development of the men in black. The long running agreement also promotes respect for officials through the '23rd Man' campaign, which urged players and fans to support referees.

This new partnership with Football Aid will see the officials at the organisation's games with Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Scotland and an International Challenge match in the summer months receiving sponsorship from Specsavers.

The initiative also allows Specsavers to extend support for its nominated charity, Diabetes UK, as Football Aid was founded by businessman, Craig Paterson, in 2000 and developed as a unique and innovative way of raising money to find a cure for diabetes after his son was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes aged 11.

Specsavers' Scottish regional chairman Shirley-Ann Kennedy says: 'Football Aid is a great programme which allows football fans to live their dreams whilst raising important funds for charity. We are delighted to show our support, which we hope will be instrumental in allowing us to achieve our target of raising £100,000 to fund research into diabetes and retinopathy.'

Football Aid chief executive David Jenkins, says: 'With both organisations having such close ties with Diabetes research, it is a fantastic and appropriate way to create awareness and to raise money through the love of football.'

All funds raised from the events are distributed through Football Aid's parent charity Field of Dreams towards diabetes research with the remainder going to charities nominated by participating clubs.