© Reuters/Peter PowellFILE PHOTO: Premier League - Everton v Liverpool
(Reuters) - Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has agreed to sponsor cash-strapped eighth-tier side Marine in their FA Cup third round tie at home to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
Marine's hopes of generating much-needed revenue through the turnstiles were dashed when the Merseyside region was placed into Tier 3 of Britain's COVID-19 restrictions, forcing Sunday's game to be played without supporters at the stadium.
The club planned to welcome 500 fans for the match but are now staring at 100,000 pounds ($136,270) in lost revenue while a sponsor also pulled out of an advertising package worth 20,000 pounds when the game went behind closed doors.
But TV pundit Carragher will now sponsor Marine's dugouts and pre-match warm up tops through his JC23 Foundation charity.
"We are indebted to Jamie and the JC23 Foundation for their support in this magical game for Marine," the club's chairman Paul Leary said in a statement https://marinefc.com/carragher-steps-in-to-support-local-team-marine-fc-in-magical-fa-cup-tie on Monday.
"The JC23 Foundation do magnificent work in helping young people not just in Liverpool but right across the world. We are proud to partner with them on this special occasion."
In a bid to raise vital funds, Marine said last week they were selling virtual tickets at 10 pounds each which will be entered into a raffle, with the winner being allowed to manage the side in a friendly game in the future.
($1 = 0.7338 pounds)
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)