BOTH goalkeepers in the Sydney derby had the number zero on their shirts to highlight a touching campaign.
The Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC collided at the CommBank Stadium on Saturday morning in yet another fiery derby.
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Fans watching the match abroad were left baffled after seeing stoppers Lawrence Thomas and Andrew Redmayne walk out with zeros on their tops instead of their usual No.20 and No.1 shirts.
Written above the number zero was “towards”, which was to highlight an ongoing campaign to lower road traffic deaths in New South Wales.
The initiative began all the way back in 2016 in an effort to increase safety on the roads.
Both Sydney clubs got involved in the campaign in 2020 and have continued to champion it in their derbies and off the pitch.
After the Wanderers signed up in 2020, former Acting Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole, said: “Speeding remains the leading cause of death and injuries on NSW roads.
“It accounted for about 34 per cent of fatalities in the Greater Sydney region in 2019, with a higher incidence in Western Sydney where speeding contributed to 37 per cent of fatalities.
“Almost 100 people died in speed-related crashes during the first eight months of this year.
“These were fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends whose lives could have been saved if everyone simply followed the speed limit.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to slow down.
“With the help of the Western Sydney Wanderers, we’re using the power of football to raise awareness and start conversations about road trauma and how everyone can help prevent it .”
Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas said: “Our partnership with Transport for NSW goes beyond football, and we are very proud to continue our relationship.
“Transport for NSW’s ‘slow down’ campaign is very important to our Western Sydney community and we are proud to be part of the conversation and raise awareness of staying safe on our roads.”
Sydney FC CEO Danny Townsend said: “The Towards Zero Round is a great example of the shared vision for the type of culture we want to develop across the community.
“And we are proud to be working to help save lives on our roads.”
