A former soldier has copied England star Phil Foden’s bleached-blonde hairstyle - and plans to keep the look if he can raise £1,000 in time for tonight’s Euro 2020 final whistle.
Nigel Seaman, who runs Combat2Coffee in Ipswich, emulated the midfielder’s statement hairdo alongside his cousin Simon Lummis.
The ex-prison officer said he wants to raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse through the sponsored haircut.
All cash raised on his JustGiving page will go towards Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which provides support to hundreds of Armed Forces children across the UK.
Leading charities have been reinforcing their message as England has been advancing through the Euros, telling victims experiencing domestic abuse that they are not alone.
“While football tournaments do not cause abuse – abuse is always a choice a perpetrator makes – they can exacerbate pre-existing abusive behaviours,” said Ruth Davison, chief executive of charity Refuge.
Mr Seaman had Foden’s statement look done on Saturday and said: “I’ve just bought some purple shampoo. It doesn’t look too bad on me at the moment. My cousin looks really good with it.
“We want to raise £1,000 for Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Children like those helped by the charity can often become victims of domestic violence, which has an impact on their mental health later in life.
“This is also a charity close to my heart as part of the veteran community. If we manage to raise the money by the final whistle tonight, I’ll keep the look.”
Research from the London School of Economics’ Centre for Economic Performance recently suggested that a football game increases the risk of domestic abuse victimisation.
It suggested that although domestic abuse decreases during the two-hour period when the game is played, abuse starts to increase in its aftermath and this effect peaks between 10 and 12 hours following the game.
“Let’s be really clear, there is never an excuse for abusive behaviour and abuse doesn’t come ‘by appointment’, it happens all year round,” Ms Davison added.
“However, Refuge wants to reassure people that 365 days a year, come rain or shine, regardless of what happens at Wembley Stadium this week, we are here for you, and can offer you the support you need.”
Around 60,000 fans will be at Wembley on Sunday night to watch England face Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
Free and confidential support is available from Refuge’s 24-hour national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, with digital support via live chat Monday to Friday, 3pm to 10pm via the charity's website.
Donate to Mr Seaman's cause via this link.
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