The shirt auction was held following our first game of the 2019/20 Premier League restart against Arsenal in June.
The match saw our partner, Etihad Airways, dedicate their front of shirt space, which usually bears its company branding, to Cityzens Giving for Recovery as part of a unique one-off design.
In the wake of our 3-0 win over the Gunners, fans were invited to bid on the signed shirts of their favourite players from the game.
In addition, there were also three sweepstakes competitions to win one of the three goal-scorers’ shirts from the night – Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne.
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The auction proved a big hit with our fans with a total of £17,500 raised which will go towards City in the Community’s mental health programme.
The programme will support young people in Manchester in their recovery from the impact of the coronavirus crisis by embedding mental health awareness and understanding across all community projects, targeting thousands of participants aged 14-25 years old.
The three winners of our sweepstake competition revealed they were thrilled with their special shirts.
Gemma Thompson, who won Kevin De Bruyne’s shirt, said: “I’m absolutely over the moon with my fantastic prize and I am super proud to have been able to support a local charity with such a good ethos. Thank you very much!”
Her excitement was shared by Rohan Malpani who is now the proud owner of Raheem Sterling’s match jersey.
“In these unprecedented circumstances caused by COVID-19, we can move forward only with each other’s support,” Rohan declared.
“Staying at home has been significantly affecting our physical and mental health. City in the Community’s initiative through Charity Stars made me feel part of the fight to overcome world problems together.”
Ross MacRae, the winning recipient of Phil Foden’s match-worn shirt, was equally delighted to have played his part in the campaign.
“I never for a moment thought I would win Phil Foden‘s shirt!” Ross admitted.
“I’m so pleased to have won the shirt of a player who will be a big part of City’s future but this shirt also shows how football came together this year to tackle racism and thank our brilliant NHS after all they’ve done.
“To win this as part of Cityzens Giving for Recovery’s fundraising puts the icing on the cake, this initiative shows the commitment of Manchester City and its sister clubs to helping communities recover from this awful pandemic”.
