The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) recently hosted a charity football match between lobby journalists and Members of Parliament at Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road stadium – in the 50th edition of the fixture.
The event, sponsored by BGC member bet365, raised over £50,000 ($62,784) for SportsAid.
The match saw a team of Parliamentarians, led by former Cabinet Minister Ed Balls, face off against a team of seasoned journalists.
The game featured a number of other notable figures such as Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and former Foreign Secretary David Miliband on the MP's side. Meanwhile, the journalists' team included figures like LBC’s Ben Kentish and The Times Home Affairs Editor Matt Dathan.
The journalists ultimately emerged victorious with a 4-1 win.
Regarding the event, SportsAid Chief Executive Tim Lawler commented: “A huge thank you from everyone at SportsAid. The donations raised as a result of this milestone moment in the long history of this symbolic match are truly fantastic!
“They will fuel SportsAid’s mission to encourage, enable and empower the next generation of British sporting talent. In an Olympic and Paralympic year, this feels even more pertinent.
Michael Dugher, outgoing CEO and Acting Chair of the BGC, added: “The 50th anniversary match of Lobby vs MPs was a fantastic occasion, made even more special by BGC member bet365, whose contribution will make a real difference for SportsAid.
“The first 45 minutes was perhaps the worst football I have ever watched so I did feel sorry for Stuart Pearce, who pointed out to me that he’d been commentating on Real Madrid only a couple of days earlier.
“But it was a great night and it was great to see so many old friends and colleagues again, coming together to raise money for a fabulous good cause.”
