FC Legends v Len Johnson FC (celebrity team) Sat. May 27th 2023

FC United Legends v Len Johnson FC (celebrity team) Saturday May 27th 2023

Buy your tickets here

FC United are pleased to announce details of a celebrity football match versus FC United Legends at Broadhurst Park Stadium on Saturday 27th May 2023. The match is being organised in recognition of former uncrowned boxing champion, Len Johnson and leading the line-up of the celebrity team will be boxing legends Ricky Hatton and Anthony Crolla. 

FC United were approached by local community activist Lamin Touray to organise a charity football match to raise funds for a statue of Manchester’s uncrowned boxing champion, Len Johnson. 

Watch Lamin explaining the background on ITV - click here

Len Johnson’s story re-surfaced in Manchester during the worldwide movement of the Black Lives Matter campaign. Len Johnson is from Clayton, Manchester born to a West African father and an Irish Mancunian mother in 1902. He had a remarkable boxing career, winning 93 out of 135 bouts. Despite this unbelievable record and beating the best of his generation he was not allowed to box for a British Title because of his skin colour. His story has since been covered widely in the media. (To learn more about Len Click here) 

There is a campaign to build a statue of Len in Manchester city centre, supported by:

• The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham  
• City councillors
• Current and former world Boxing champions such as Ricky Hatton, Anthony Joshua, Carl Frampton, Anthony Crolla, Tony Bellew, Natasha Jonas, Amir Khan and many more 

There is also a play about Len Johnson’s life, performed by Odd Arts, touring schools and community groups across the Northwest. 

FC United are incredibly proud to be hosting this event, hoping to raise crucial funds for the statue and to celebrate our collective Mancunian history. Len’s story, both in the ring and out, fits with our values as a club born out of protest and defiance to fight back. 

Get your tickets here

Come and celebrate Len Johnson’s life and legacy whilst watching former FC United legends take on a team of celebrities from the world of sport, music, television and more, including boxing legends Ricky Hatton & Anthony Crolla; actors from Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Waterloo Road and many more to be announced soon.