The Big Hearts Community Trust has received a boost to its resources for the Football Memories project in conjunction with Alzheimer’s Scotland.
The specially devised European Legends cards will be used in the Football Memories sessions, which support those with dementia, memory loss, poor mental health or social isolation.
As a result of Glasgow being a UEFA EURO 2020 host city, legacy packs were created to provide key resources to more than 250 Football Memories groups across Scotland, including the Big Hearts group.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the European Championship, the 60 special cards, including players and managers who participated in the tournament from 1960-1990, can be used by Football Memories groups to stimulate memories and aid discussions of the international greats of European football.
The deck includes two former Scotland internationals, the 55-times capped Denis Law, who remains the country’s joint-top goalscorer with 30 goals, and Danny McGrain, the Celtic legend who earned 62 caps during his playing career.
Other famous names featured include the likes of Johann Cruyff, Michel Platini, Lothar Matthäus and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Hearts’ Football Memories group is just one of the clubs to benefit from this legacy project and have used the cards to create a personalised Hall of Fame, select a ‘Legends XI’ team and simply reminisce about a golden age of football.
The Big Hearts group has been going since 2013. It’s a vital lifeline for the community and participants were delighted when the sessions resumed just in time for EURO 2020 starting.
The group’s bi-weekly meet ups have been replaced by packs and parcels of resources delivered to members’ homes instead.
“The EUROs have naturally been the main topic of conversations between Big Hearts’ Football Memories volunteers and participants,” said Pauline Fraser, Volunteer Development Officer at Big Hearts Community Trust.
“The European Legend cards have played a major role in our reminiscence work and widening our conversations. Some of our participants also shared their experience of travelling abroad to see games in Germany or Italy, leading to really enjoyable afternoons spent together. We can’t wait for more of these afternoons with the cards to hopefully take place in person really soon.”
The Football Memories Scotland project, the world’s oldest national football reminiscence programme is headquartered at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
It is a partnership between Alzheimer Scotland and the Scottish Football Museum, supporting volunteers to spend time with football fans who are living with dementia, other forms of memory loss or who are experiencing loneliness, depression and social isolation.
You can discover more about the European Legends cards as part of the suite of legacy projects for UEFA EURO 2020 Glasgow and select your own dream team online here: https://euro2020.scottishfa.co.uk/european-legends/
