Former Sunderland striker Marcus Stewart hopes Ipswich Town's generosity in raising funds for the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation through a new kit launch will continue to help give a voice to others with the disease. Ipswich's new shirts, again sponsored by Ed Sheeran, are their fastest selling so far as the Tractor Boys gear up for a return to the Sky Bet Championship having won promotion from League One last season.
For every home shirt sold during July, the Suffolk club will make a donation of £2 to the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation in support of Stewart's fundraising efforts for the charity following his own diagnosis for motor neurone disease last year. Over the course of the first weekend of record sales - which saw the new home kit worn in Town's opening pre-season friendly against Felixstowe & Walton United on Saturday - more than £11,000 was raised.
The home shirt is inspired by Ipswich's 1999-2000 campaign which ended in promotion via the Championship play-off final at Wembley, before going on to finish fifth back in the top flight the following season. Stewart scored 19 league goals - coming second behind Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and ahead of Thierry Henry in the race for the Golden Boot - which helped George Burley's team secure qualification for the UEFA Cup.
