SIR STANLEY MATTHEWS
FOUNDATION
Our Ambassadors
Dan Magness, Professional Freestyle Footballer
Dan Magness is one of the best known football freestylers in the world. Learning his tricks growing up in Guildford UK, Dan refined them and put together an amazing, unrivalled football freestyle display that kept him at the top of the freestyle tree where he remains to this day. He has performed half time shows for many Premiership football clubs and has appeared in TV commercials worldwide alongside some of the world’s biggest names in world football.
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In 2009 Dan became the first person in the world to keep a ball in the air for 24 hours without dropping it. This amazing feat was followed a few months later by a gruelling 36 mile walk across London in January 2010, keeping a football up the whole time. In June 2010 he extended his 24 hour record by 2 whole hours, raising the bar for other freestylers to strive towards.
Aguska Mnich, Professional Freestyle Footballer
It is a real privilege to have Aguska Mnich represent the Foundation as one of our Ambassadors. Aguska is a professional female freestyle footballer and one of the most popular names in the sport. In 2019 she was crowned World Champion for the second time, as well as winning the first ever Women's European Freestyle championship.
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Aguska, originally from Poland, has worked with organisations such as Uefa and Fifa and featured in adverts for Nike and Adidas. In addition she has performed at halftime shows in the Indian Super League and in venues such as Stamford Bridge.
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She continues to travel around the world featuring in campaigns and performing at freestyle events.
Heather Knight OBE, England Cricket Captain
It is an absolute honour to have Heather Knight as an ambassador for the Foundation. World Cup winner in 2017, Heather is current England captain and was named in 2018 by Wisden as one of their five Cricketers of the Year. The all-rounder also represents England at both Test level and T20 and is current captain of the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia where she plays during the British winter. It has recently been announced that she will captain London Spirit in the up-coming Hundred competition, a new cricket format which will commence in 2020.
Heather’s career in cricket has been remarkable. She began playing colts cricket aged 8 at Plymstock in Devon, progressing through the junior ranks before representing her county and then the England Academy Women. She was called into the full England squad for their tour of India in 2010 and made her debut in the 5th ODI in Mumbai, opening the batting and scoring 49. Heather then made her T20 debut the same year in Sri Lanka before making her Test debut against Australia in 2011. She became England captain in 2016 and also became the first female cricketer to score a fifty and to take a five wicket haul in an ODI innings.
On 2017 Heather led England to World Cup victory, beating India in the final at Lords by 9 runs in an incredibly exciting finale to the competition. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Honours List in January 2018.
Charlie Fogarty MBE, Motivational Speaker
"I am very proud to have been offered an ambassador role for the Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation. As soon as I found out that the foundation helps others, I was sold as that’s what I love to do. I look forward to seeing what other incredible opportunities I get from working here.”
Charlie Fogarty MBE is an international motivational speaker who delivers his message to youth teams in community football/sports clubs.
At 15 Charlie suffered severe head injuries after being hit by a car, cutting short his football career. He was placed in an induced coma, spent several days in intensive care and subsequently completed a six-month rehabilitation programme in Surrey Children’s trust where he learnt to eat, speak and walk.
Before the accident, Charlie was trialling at Milton Keynes Dons after completing a four-year contract at Birmingham City FC’s Academy. Charlie uses his passion for sport and his incredible story of grit, determination and making the impossible possible to motivate the next generation of young footballers. Charlie’s dream is to change lives one speech at a time.
In 2015 Charlie was selected to play for the Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy team. In addition, he played in the Intercontinental CP Championships in Denmark and has also played at St George’s Park in the CP World Cup. Charlie set up the Solihull Moors FC Open Age Disability team and was deservedly appointed an MBE after being included in the Queens 2018 New Years Honours list.
John Motson OBE, Football Commentator
“I am proud to have been asked to be an ambassador for the Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation. The charity is doing such valuable work with underprivileged people both in this country, Ghana and Uganda. Sir Stanley spread the message of the value of football in promoting welfare and wellbeing during his lifetime. It is wonderful to be a small part of continuing the legacy of possibly the greatest footballer this country ever produced.”
John Motson OBE is one of the most recognisable commentators in football. On 11th March 2018, Motty delivered his final live commentary for the BBC, 48 years after his first radio broadcast. During his remarkable career, he has covered 10 World Cups, 10 European Championships, 29 FA Cup finals and more than 200 England games.
Motson, who is known for his sheepskin coats and incredible footballing knowledge, started his BBC career as a sports reporter on Radio 2 in 1968. This eventually led to his breakthrough on Match of the Day for the famous FA Cup replay between Hereford and Newcastle. The FA Cup final in 1977 was Motson’s first live commentary and he was quickly made the first choice for future broadcasts.
John Motson has perfectly captured the drama of some of football's most memorable moments - Gazza’s tears in 1990, the Crazy Gang final in 1988 and Zidane’s sending off in 2006 are to name but a few.
In 2001 he became an OBE for his services to sports broadcasting.
Gordon Taylor OBE, PFA Chief Executive
“It is a great honour and privilege to be an Ambassador for the Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation. We at the PFA help so many charities for young and old throughout England and the World but Sir Stanley’s Foundation headed by his daughter, Jean is an exemplary role model in the manner of her beloved father with so many initiatives for the young, disadvantaged and needy throughout England and Africa using sport as a vehicle to engage and educate and give hope where there was once only despair."
Gordon Taylor OBE became Chief Executive of the Professional Footballer’s Association in 1981. His involvement began earlier in 1972 when he was appointed to the PFA Management Committee and several years later he was appointed Chairman.
As a professional footballer, Gordon made over 250 appearances for Bolton Wanderers, scoring over 50 goals. He was transferred to Birmingham City in 1970 before joining Blackburn Rovers in 1976. Towards the conclusion of the 1977 season, Gordon joined Vancouver Whitecaps, playing in the North American Soccer League. He retired in 1980 but not before returning to Blackburn Rovers and representing Bury for the final two seasons of his playing career.
In 2011 Gordon received the ‘Lifetime Contribution to North West Football’ award and also the ‘Contribution to League Football Award’