Big Coat Day at Gigg Lane New Year's Day

2.14.00pm GMT Wed 30th Dec 2009

John will be supporting FC United's Big Coat day on New Year's Day.

Last winter 5,000 excess deaths occurred in the North West, many because of lack of heating and warm clothing. Every hour of the cold winter months took two people's lives in our region alone.

FC United hopes to play its part in helping the homeless and destitute through the winter months with their Big Coat Day.

When the club was born in the summer months of 2005, Alan Gowling, a well known sports commentator predicted they wouldn't last through the cold dark nights till Christmas. They survived and as they celebrate their 5th New Year's Day, once again they are asking supporters and the public to help others through the cold winter and bring their excess winter clothing to Big Coat Day.

On Big Coat Day, people are asked to bring their old winter clothing down to the forecourt at Gigg Lane Stadium in Bury where the Salvation Army and the Boaz Trust will load the clothing into vans to take away and distribute to those most in need. On our 2006 Big Coat Day, 300 sacks of clothing were collected by the Salvation Army and we hope to beat this record.

John Leech MP will be joined by "Looking for Eric" actor John Henshaw and comedian Justin Moorhouse on Friday who are also supporting the event.

John commented "This is a great initiative which helps tackle a very important issue that affects so many people in our area".

The collection will take place between noon and be accompanied by music from a Salvation Army band. It will finish at 3pm when fans dressed in their own Big Coats go inside the stadium to roar on FC United playing their New Year's Day fixture against Ossett Town.