GOAL’s Sporting Patrons
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| Dublin footballing brothers, Alan and Bernard Brogan, the latest sporting stars to join GOAL's list of Patrons |
Dublin football star forwards, Alan and Bernard Brogan, are the latest in a long line of sporting icons to join GOAL's list of Patrons.
The brothers - who join other sportspeople such as Jamie Heaslip and Andy Murray, and more recent recruits, golfing icon Graeme McDowell, Ireland rugby star, Johnny Sexton, and cricket hero Kevin O'Brien - are urging people to get behind GOAL's response to the crisis in the Horn of Africa (see here for more on GOAL's aid efforts in the Horn).
Some of the most successful sportspeople in the world have agreed to become GOAL Patrons. Indeed, Pat Cash is President of GOAL UK and Mats Wilander is President of GOAL USA.
Patrons agree to allow their name and image to be used to aid GOAL fundraising, and to being cited as a supporter of our humanitarian work in the developing world. Without any prior obligation from them, and only at their convenience, a patron may take part in a GOAL photo-call, visit programmes in the developing world, or take receipt of a donation on GOAL’s behalf. In short, our patrons make public their support for GOAL.
In 1988, Mats Wilander, made his support very public indeed. He was presented with a Porsche sports car after winning the Australian Open, and that evening rang GOAL CEO John O’Shea to tell him to auction the car in aid of GOAL.
After winning the 2010 U.S. Open Golf Championship, McDowell said he was delighted to be associated with GOAL, adding: “Like the other sporting patrons that GOAL has, I acknowledge the great work that the volunteers continue to do in some of the poorest countries in the world.”
Other GOAL patrons are: Eoin Morgan, Sean O'Brien, Eamonn Coghlan, Frank O’Meara, Marcus O’Sullivan, Barry Geraghty, John McEnroe, Pat Cash, Mats Wilander, Yannick Noah, John O’Shea, Damien Duff, Padraig Harrington, Roy Keane, Niall Quinn, Ken Doherty, Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Keith Wood, Sonia O’Sullivan, Kenneth Egan, Luke Fitzgerald, Sean Cavanagh, Paddy Barnes, Peter Canavan, Victor Costello, Andy Reid, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, Brian Kerr, Maurice Fitzgerald, Hugo MacNeill, Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Leo Cullen, Peter Fleming, Shane Byrne, Catherina McKiernan, Joe Connolly, Eddie Jordan, Seamus Moynihan, Michael Carruth, Sean Boylan, Charlie Swan, Brian Whelahan, Ronnie Delany, Kevin Moran, Fergus Slattery, Paul McGrath, Ray McLoughlin, Anthony Molloy, Steve Scott, Eddie Keher, Brian Corcoran, Michael 'Babs' Keating, Barry McGuigan, Dr Jack Kyle, Liam Tuohy, Matt Doyle, Barry John, Tony Ward, Denis Irwin, Darren Clarke, John Treacy, Gary O'Toole, Des Smyth, Steve Collins, Claire Hourihane, Brian McEniff, Niall O’Toole, Joakim Nystrom, Paul McGinley, Steve Cram, David O'Leary, Sean Sorenson, Liam Griffin, Brian Cody, Gillian O’Sullivan, Bob Casey and Kieran McDonald.
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| Irish rugby star, Sean O'Brien, another of GOAL's sporting Patrons |