All Premier League games this weekend will feature a special red-coloured version of the usual official Nike T90 Ascente ball. It’s all part of the Red charity campaign to fight AIDS in Africa. Serie A and La Liga will be joining the Premier League in the use of the Red ball during their weekend matches.
In addition, stars such as Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott and Fernando Torres will be wearing special Nike Red laces to help raise awareness of the campaign. Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League, said, “[a] red ball and red laces are simple ideas, but sometimes those are the best – the hope is that the profile given through this and the money raised through ‘Lace Up, Save Lives’ will provide significant impetus and funding to the Global Fund’s activities to aid the prevention of HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The Nike (Red) Limited Edition ball is available for sale, in the UK, and in the US. All profits, according to Nike, will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS.
It will be difficult for Cesc to wear special Nike red laces whilst he’s resting his strained hamstring and watching from the stands.
The players have already been wearing them in select games, and they may be put up from charity auction. Hopefully Cesc will be wearing them if he makes it to the bench against Hull.
This ball is sooo awesome, it’s a little bit pricey but it’s very worth it.
If you heard about the “360 Sweet Spot” this ball has it. Perhaps you’ve seen free kick takers adjust the ball in a certain way, basically with the inflation whole towards them. This is what was the sweet spot on most balls.
However this one doesn’t have one, or rather said everywhere is a sweet spot. When you pick this ball up you would feel that it has something like micro textures as well. Anyways enough on the ball.
I don’t think it’s that important that Fabregas will not play, it’s for a good cause and hopefully they collect great amount of money.
i hope drogba puts those laces up for auction…i want to bid on them so i can wipe my bum with them.
Nice one.. I love the red ball
They had to change this ball in one game I watched. So much for QC.
Next step is to just make the pitch say “Nike” all over it?
It would be great if they used this ball indefinitely. The design more properly resembles that of an original football. The yellow nike ball with purple looks silly. Too bad they don’t use an Adidas ball, too. I thinl most football fans and players agree that these are certain purist aspects of the game we’d like to see maintained.
I used to play with the original footballs (anyway, back in 1940). These are nothing like the old leather balls that we had to put ‘Dubbin’ on so that it would keep the wet out. Talk about heavy! The balls would break your foot if you didn’t kick correctly. Don’t tell me about this looking like an original football. You guys are lucky. Our boots were built like ‘Toe-tecters’, and they weighed a ton also.
One more thing! The old leather ball had a bladder and a leather lace, which, if it caught your forehead, would tear your head open. You guys are a bunch of poofs – comparatively. Just kiddin’ fellas. I LOVE soccer/football.
http://www.ronnorrisart.com/