Derry legends to play for Palestine next Sunday

PICTURED ABOVE: Group at the launch of the Derry Legends v Derry for Palestine charity football game. From left, are Eddie McCallion (Derry City Legends), Christopher Ferry (Ferry Clever), Anita Villa (IPSC), Sean Hargan and Tommy McCallion (Derry City Legends). (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

A ‘Derry for Palestine’ team, which will feature DJ Provai from Kneecap, will take on Derry City Legends in a special fundraising initiative at Leafair Pitches next week.

The game, which will take place next Sunday at 2pm, has been organised in con junction with local business Ferry Clever, and will see a number of Candystripe legends including Sean Hargan and brothers Eddie and Tommy McCallion, take to the field to prove that they still have it after all these years, all in the name of a cause close to the hearts of many people in the city.

Every penny raised will go directly to Derry ISPC/Hilda Orr, supporting their efforts to combat the genocide that continues to devastate lives in Palestine on a daily basis.

Anita Villa from the IPSC, believes next week’s game will bring awareness of their cause to a new audience.

“It's a really important initiative, particularly in this moment,” she said. “Linking it in with football brings us a new audience, brings particularly a young audience, and I think in a time when the world is in such a frightening place.

“The people of Gaza have been bombed now for a full year, and now Lebanon is experiencing all of that, so over the next while we need to be standing up, and this is one way of us raising awareness and bringing new people to the discussion about how we support peace and a ceasefire in Gaza and the Middle East.”

Since the beginning of the attacks a year ago, Anita has watched the people of Derry respond in their own unique way.

“At least one of our marches had probably 10,000 people in it,” she stated. “We're hoping there's going to be a march on October 7 to raise awareness of the year of genocide, and we're hoping as many people again will come out and show that we want peace for the people of Gaza, we want justice for the people of Gaza, and what we don't want is Israel starting a genocide war across the Middle East that will drag all of us in.

“None of us will be safe if this war escalates, and we need to be pressuring our politicians, North and South, to be arguing for peace, to be putting pressure on the U.S. and on the British government to stop supporting Israel and to start helping fund some of the bombs that are raining down at this moment on Gaza and on Lebanon.”

Former Derry City star Tommy McCallion insists that sport can play a big part in raising awareness of the events in the Middle East.

“I don't think we can separate football from what's going on,” he said. “I think it's sad from any perspective, if you look at it from a football point of view, there's not even an ability for Palestinian children to play football. They don't even have schools to go to. We have the comfort from here to play a football match to raise awareness of it so it's important to show we've got a solidarity with the campaign groups within the city who are doing so much to raise their profile of it. I think as a city we know what it's like.

“The real cause of what's going on in the West Bank and Gaza is occupation. People are suffering as a result of that and I think anything we can do here to raise their profile, or raise a few pounds, that can go towards the rights of the children within the West Bank and Gaza, then long may that happen.”

Tommy has seen firsthand the strength and character of the people of the city, who, as a people have also overcome so much oppression in the past.

“I think we're a city that understands oppression,” he continued. “We're a city that understands conflict. We're a city that understands that when people try to intimidate and show power, I think the people in Gaza and the West Bank are suffering interminably. I think it's important that I as an individual, Derry City as a club and Derry City Legends, if we can send voice to that, it might not seem too significant to many people, but I think it spreads out to other people. Sometimes you can't say that this thing is not happening and ignore it. You have to stand up and be counted.

“For me personally, if it's something that I'm fully behind and power to the people, who continuing the campaign.”

‘What can we do?’

Event organiser Christophr Ferry from Ferry Clever, believes everyone has a responsibility to ask what they can do to support the people of Palestine.

“We urge the Derry public to come and show some support,” he said. “There will be charity buckets throughout the side of the pitch to raise money for Hilda Orr who's been leaving money drops and food drops to the people of Palestine.

“As a local business we want to use our platform. What can we do? We've decided we've got a good following, and we've got a shop in the city centre so we've been using that platform to try and raise money for the people of Palestine and this is just another event that we're running.”

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“I would urge everybody to come along. It'll be a good day out. You'll see some great legends from the Derry City Football Club's history play against us. The match might not go our way. I'm not looking forward to playing against them but if anything it's good to show solidarity for Palestine.”

“Everyone is invited to join us on the day and show your unwavering support for this vital cause. Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a difference — Hopefully see you all there.”