England stars wear nameless shirts for game against Australia to raise awareness for dementia

Players in Tuesday’s friendly match between England and Australia at Brentford wore nameless shirts in support of the Alzheimer’s Society in an effort to raise awareness for dementia.

The clash between two of the heavyweights of the women’s game was a designated Alzheimer’s Society international with a select number of players from both sides wearing shirts without the customary names on the back.

A third of the players at any one time had nameless shirts on in an effort to represent the ratio of people born in the United Kingdom who will suffer from the disease.

At half-time, players swapped to reflect the confusion and memory loss synonymous with those who suffer from dementia.

The nameless shirts will be auctioned off following the game to raise further funds for research. 

England’s players donned nameless shirts for clash against Australia to highlight dementia

The fixture was a dedicated Alzheimer’s Society International with players from both sides wearing the nameless kits

A third of players at any one time wore the nameless shirts to represent the ratio of those who will suffer from the disease in the United Kingdom

The game, which was hosted at Brentford’s GTech Community Stadium, will also see some its proceeds go to the charity as they pursue life-changing and vital support for those currently suffering and a large proportion of those that eventually might.

Before the game, the two teams lined up for their customary pre-match photographs with three players from each team having their back turned to the camera to show their nameless shirts.

Chloe Kelly, Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh began the game for England without their names on the back of their shirts.

Katrina Gorry, Charlotte Grant and Tameka Yallop did the same for Australia. 

Last year, England men’s supported the same initiative with Mason Mount, Conor Coady and Luke Shaw among those internationals to don the shirts for a friendly against Switzerland at Wembley. 

Ahead of the game, Alzheimer’s Society CEO Kate Lee said she hoped the move by both teams would bring attention to the charity and aid the vital research being conducted.

‘We hope by making this simple alternation with this gesture and getting both teams to show a sign of solidarity,’ she said. ‘We can put an important spotlight on just how much dementia can devastate lives.

‘I hope it makes a massive impact from the stands to screens, inspiring people to donate so we can reach even more people with our life-changing support, which helps people through some of the hardest and most frightening times.’

The Lionesses experienced their first taste of defeat under Sarina Wiegman on Tuesday evening, losing to an Australia side who had been defeated 1-0 by Scotland just a few days prior.

Chloe Kelly was one of those who began the game without her name on the back of her shirt

It follows the men’s team supporting the same initiative in a game against Switzerland last year

Goals from Sam Kerr and Charlotte Grant consigned Wiegman’s side to defeat in their final pre-World Cup fixture. 

However, captain Leah Williamson denied the defeat was a set back, insisting lessons would be learned and messages taken on board just months out from the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. 

‘[It’s] absolutely not a setback. You have to take blessings in disguise, maybe that is not the worst thing that can happen to us,’ she said.

‘We wanted to learn this whole time, we wanted to be pushed to our limit and we need to take it up to a new level. In the past we have won those games but to lose it gives you a bit of fire.’

Their World Cup campaign kicks off on June 22 against Haiti in Brisbane.