An all-star football game between Wales and England raised more than £40,000 for two good causes.

Organised by Joseph's Smile, a charity established in memory of a three-year-old boy who lost his battle with a rare form of cancer in 2021, and the Bradley Lowery Foundation, formed in 2017 under similarly tragic circumstances and named after the six-year-old who fought neuroblastoma, the event saw dozens of famous faces take to the pitch at the Swansea.com Stadium.

In the dugouts were two managers who will be instantly familiar to fans of both teams. Former Wales manager Chris Coleman was back in his hometown to take charge of the men in red, and former England international Sol Campbell oversaw the away team.

There was entertainment ahead of kick-off, with West End star Steve Balsamo (pictured above with choir) premiering his new single “Never Alone (A Song for Joseph)”, a song composed for the charity, and the national anthems performed by Lee Mead and Rhys Meirion.

The game saw a mixture of seasoned pros and enthusiastic celebrities take to the pitch, with the likes of Liam Reardon and Rhys Webb representing the home side, and Roman Kemp and Toby Aromolaran for England. There was also a string of returning faces to the stadium, such as former Ospreys Shane Williams and James Hook, with ex-Swans Ashley Willaims, Jazz Richards and Owain Tudor Jones for Wales, and Premier League heroes Alan Tate, Leon Britton and Nathan Dyer for England.

The final score was 2-0 to Wales with the goals coming from Rhys Webb and Wilfried Bony.

Football aside, the real aim of the event was to raise money and awareness for children in need of treatment not currently available on the NHS, and to highlight the plight of so many young cancer sufferers in the UK, where “it stands as the leading cause of death among children.”

The lcv group was more than happy to lend our support to the event by cheering on the teams from the stands and sponsoring the match-day kit, with our logo appearing on the back of the shorts.

Speaking afterwards, Joseph’s mum and organiser Katy Yeandle (above, right), who arranged the event with her sister Emma, said:

“A huge thank you to Rod Lloyd (CEO, the lcv group) and all at the lcv group. Without their support this wouldn’t happen. The sponsors have helped us in every way, and we’re so grateful.”

Sadly, Katy was so busy on the day making sure that everything went to plan, she didn’t have much time to enjoy the game itself. She did, however, catch “the proudest moment” of the day: watching the mascots take to the pitch beforehand, children who have benefited from the money raised via the cancer wards, grant schemes and grief support.

“Seeing all the mascots was amazing, we were able to give them a super, special day out.”

Katrina Merrell (above, left), the lcv group’s marketing manager, said:

“We were honoured to have been able to help support such a wonderful charity within our local community. Katy and her team have done an incredible job in such a short space of time, pulling in support from well-loved celebrities to battle it out on the field which brought in the crowds to cheer along at Swansea Stadium. They should be very proud of what they have achieved.

“The match itself has raised an amazing amount of money which will go towards supporting the charity, their brilliant work and helping families across the region. We can’t wait to see the match showcased on Amazon Prime later on this Summer - we're already looking forward to being a part of the next one!”

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To support Joseph’s Smile, you can visit the website here: Joseph's Smile