SPORT HEROES JOIN TEAM TO BEAT LITTER
England’s rugby team, Test cricket captain and football champs sign up
SPORTING heroes have come out in force to back the Great British Spring Clean.
Rugby, football and cricket legends are all pledging to go out and pick up litter as part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign backed by the Daily Mail.
Football manager and former I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of here contestant harry Redknapp has spoken of his anger at seeing British beauty spots blighted by litter.
And Premier league champions Manchester City FC have thrown their weight behind the initiative. england Test cricket captain Joe Root has also weighed in. he said last night: ‘The england cricket teams would like to offer their full support to the Daily Mail’s excellent Great British Spring Clean campaign.
‘I am sure I speak on behalf of all the england players – including my Test team, the World Cup-winning one-day squad led by eoin Morgan and the women’s team led by heather Knight – by saying that any attempts to tidy up litter and fight back against plastic pollution are to be welcomed.
‘We would encourage everyone to get behind this very important initiative. Please head to this website – www.gbspringclean.org – and see where you can help out. Good luck.’
Redknapp, who lives in Sandbanks, Dorset, said: ‘every day I go out walking on the beach with my two bulldogs Barney and Lulu. They love it. I love it. It is a beautiful place to be out in the fresh air in Dorset but sometimes the litter you find can be really bad, especially in the summer.
‘That’s why I’m right behind the Great British Spring Clean with the Daily Mail and Keep Britain Tidy. We can all help to make everything a bit cleaner and tidier in our communities by picking up some of the bottles and bags left behind.
‘It’s about teamwork. Sports clubs and football teams can join forces and do their bit to get the country looking great for the summer. There will be a clean-up going on near you. Get involved and we can make a big difference.’
The england rugby squad and its coach also gave their full support.
eddie Jones, whose side captained by Owen Farrell reached the finals of the Rugby World Cup last year, said the campaign was a vital step to help Britain become a clean environment. The coach, who was born in Tasmania, added: ‘The england rugby team would like to offer our full support to the Mail’s Great British Spring Clean campaign. We would encourage everyone to get behind this important initiative. Good luck.’
england legend Sir Clive Woodward echoed his fellow coach, saying: ‘This is another brilliant initiative by the Daily Mail. Teamwork is vital if we are going to make a difference so I would urge as many people as possible to join the Great British Spring Clean.’
Manchester City said the club ‘would like to encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the Daily Mail’s Great British Spring Clean... even donating a small amount of time will have a huge impact’.
Nasser hussain, former england cricket captain, said: ‘I am proud to support this initiative. We all have a duty to make our streets, countryside, forests, rivers and oceans as free of litter and plastic as we possibly can. I am used to being in a team and teamwork is needed now for us all to back the Great British Spring Clean.’ Olympic yachtsman Sir Ben Ainslie told the Mail: ‘I support this scheme. As a sailor, ocean debris is a clear concern: the oceans are our pitch and I am passionate about their protection.’
Cricket commentator and former england player David ‘ Bumble’ Lloyd said: ‘I’m really pleased to see the Mail getting involved in this. There is so much we can do.’
In reponse to the avalanche of support, Keep Britain Tidy chief executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBe said: ‘Like the Great British Spring Clean, sporting success gives the country a sense of national pride. We want everyone to join our campaign, to help us create a loved environment we can all feel proud of.’