North vs South match confirmed as Liverpool legend named as player-manager against Harry Redknapp's side

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·17 de marzo de 2025

North vs South match confirmed as Liverpool legend named as player-manager against Harry Redknapp's side

Each squad to consist of 16 former Premier League players

Harry Redknapp and Robbie Fowler have been announced as managers for a North vs South match to take place this summer.

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The idea of an all-star match between has been raised in the past, with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly suggesting in 2022 that football was missing out by not following the American model of exhibition games.

“Ultimately I hope the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson from American sports,” said Boehly. “And really starts to figure out, why don’t we do a tournament with the bottom four sports teams, why isn’t there an All-Star game?

“People are talking about more money for the pyramid; in the MLB All-Star game this year we made $200m from a Monday and a Tuesday. So we’re thinking we could do a North versus South All-Star game for the Premier League, for whatever the pyramid needed quite easily.”

That still remains some distance away, but the North-South divide will be on show in June, when “some of the finest talent” to have represented “the biggest English clubs” will go head-to-head.

The match will take place on June 1 at The Valley stadium, home of Charlton Athletic, with each squad to have 16 former Premier League players.

Those squads have not yet been announced, but Harry Redknapp will take charge of South England FC, while Robbie Fowler will be in the opposite dugout as a player-manager for North England FC.

Former Tottenham and West Ham boss Redknapp said: “This should be a great game and there is no doubt both teams will want to win.

“North versus South has seen some great club side matches in the past. Northern teams like Man United, Liverpool and, more recently, Manchester City may have dominated English football but it’s about time now that the South got back to winning a trophy again.”

Liverpool legend Fowler added: “There is obviously an element of fun to the game but I guarantee this will be competitive and serious because it will be great to beat them.

“This has been an idea in the making for a number of years. It’s a great concept that I hope everyone gets behind. The battle between North and South will always be there, the rivalry will always be there and there can only be one winner, hopefully it will be us.”