England and Wales players will have no names on the back of their shirts for the second half of their friendly at Wembley on Thursday evening.
The move to remove names from the shirts is in order to draw attention to memory loss, one of the symptoms most commonly associated with dementia, as part of an ongoing partnership between the Alzheimer’s Society and the Football Association.
Nameless shirts were worn by England’s players during their match against Switzerland in March 2022, and in their friendly against Belgium at Wembley last year.
‘Football fans have been nominated from across England and Wales to represent the many different faces of dementia in the UK, and will walk out alongside the teams to deliver the powerful message that it will take a united team to beat the UK’s biggest killer,’ the FA said in a statement.
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Before kick-off against Wales, both sets of players will walk out with 22 fans living with dementia.
Andy Paul, 66, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019 and is one of the supporters who will be walking out with the players at Wembley.
‘I didn’t think at my age I’d ever do something like this, and I was absolutely overwhelmed when I heard the news. I’m going to cherish this opportunity; to have my family there watching and to share the moment with them will be incredibly special,’ Paul said.
‘I also hope it will show people that dementia isn’t necessarily what you might expect, and that being diagnosed doesn’t mean you suddenly stop doing the things you love.’
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) CEO Noel Mooney said: ‘At the FAW, we believe football has the unique power to bring people together, to unite communities, and to shine a light on important issues like dementia.
‘That’s why we are proud to stand alongside the Alzheimer’s Society and The FA in this historic moment at Wembley Stadium. By walking out with fans living with dementia, we send a clear message that nobody should face dementia alone.’
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