Shearer and Savage to have marathon match for Sport Relief

Former Barclays Premier League players Alan Shearer and Robbie Savage are going head-to-head with a marathon match of five-a-side football to raise funds for Sport Relief and with the support of the Premier League.

Shearer, the former Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United forward who is the record Barclays Premier League goalscorer with 260 goals, and Savage, who represented Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn and Derby County in the competition, will play for as well as manage two teams who will play a combined 57 hours of continuous football, the equivalent of an entire BPL season.

The match will be played from 3-5 March on a five-a-side stadium at Media City, Salford that is funded by the Premier League as part of its bigger commitment to funding football facilities throughout the UK.

The goal of the game is to raise funds for Sport Relief that will make a difference to people living incredibly tough lives, both in the UK and across the world’s poorest communities.

The Premier League has been a partner of Sport Relief since it started in 2002. The two have combined to engage young people from deprived areas in the UK on the Premier League Enterprise programme, which aims to inspire young people and increase their aspirations and skills.

They have also funded crucial work overseas in India, Brazil and Zambia.

Along with members of the public, Shearer, who will be representing Match of the Day, the highlights programme, and Savage, representing the BBC’s Radio 5 Live, will be joined by well-known names from sport and entertainment and many different types of football will be played including men’s, women’s, kids, wheelchair, walking and even crab football.

To find out more and sign up for the BBC Radio 5 Live "Battle of the Five-A-Sides" for Sport Relief, go to www.bbc.co.uk/fiveaside