Urban Zoo Shows Support For Ray Kennedy Cup
Digital specialists Urban Zoo helps live stream matches played at this year’s Ray Kennedy Cup.
Former Arsenal, Liverpool and England forward Ray Kennedy was a well-known 1970s footballer, whose career was cut short when he was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s at the age of 33.
The tournament which bears his name, takes place in the Danish capital of Copenhagen and features teams representing five countries, each with a squad of ten players. Games are played on a reduced size pitch with appropriately sized goals.
Players in teams from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Wales and England who suffer the difficulties in movement, co-ordination, balance and non-motor symptoms such as anxiety the result of Parkinson’s, showed nothing was going to stop them living their lives to the full.
Working alongside Urban Zoo were Northern Lights, Sport Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s UK. Northern Lights helps people living with Parkinson’s take back hobbies and pastimes and managed this year’s Copenhagen trip and established the England Walking Football team.
Urban Zoo, whose OTT/Live Streaming Video Platform – Streamline, live streamed the games to help grow the competition and raise awareness about the world’s fastest growing incurable neurological condition.
Speaking of the competition, John Roche, Chairperson of Northern Lights Parkinson’s Support, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2012, said: “A Parkinson’s diagnosis is a potentially lethal blow which can, because of the ignorance surrounding the condition, destroy the lives of sufferers and their loved ones.
“With the help of several people, some old friends some new and some supportive partners from the business sector, we have built a growing community full of people who have managed to turn negatives into positives and live with a purpose again.”
There are now discussions around bringing the Ray Kennedy Cup competition to Liverpool where Ray played the most successful years of his career and to engage new partners on all fronts and improve the lives of many people living with Parkinson’s.
