Carlisle United Football Club

Tickets For Troops, which provides free tickets for sporting, musical and theatrical events to members of the Armed Forces, has had a longstanding partnership with The Football League since the charity was established in 2009 providing thousands of football tickets to service personnel.

Over 17,500 tickets have currently been donated by Football League clubs across the UK for the 2012/13 season. 

Carlisle United media officer Andy Hall, who left the Royal Engineers after 25 years of service in 2009, said: “Speaking from experience, I don’t think anyone in the Armed Forces wants any kind of special praise, but I know it’s always appreciated when organisations acknowledge the extraordinary job they are doing in unbelievably difficult circumstances at this moment in time. We see Tickets For Troops as an ideal way for Carlisle United to be able to do that.”

Gavin Megaw, Director of External Affairs at The Football League, said: “Football League clubs have a longstanding close relationship with the Armed Forces, and it is great to see Carlisle United supporting Tickets For Troops in this way.  The charity is a fantastic way of giving something back to our servicemen and women and The Football League is proud to be making a contribution to that effort.”

Tickets For Troops Director of Operations, Ross Barden said: "The men and women of Her Majesty's Armed Forces are doing such an extraordinary job during these difficult times and it is fantastic that Carlisle United and The Football League have wanted to demonstrate their support and appreciation in such a generous way."

England captain and Tickets For Troops Patron, Steven Gerrard MBE, said: “Young men and women are risking their lives every day and Tickets for Troops is a very simple way of respecting their courage and their sacrifices.”