Sven’s Nancy is game for charity auction

Sep 4 2007 by Jessica Shaughnessy, Liverpool Daily Post

THE headline-grabbing partner of former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is putting herself up for auction at a Merseyside charity event.

Members of the region’s business community will be vying to buy an evening with Nancy Dell’Ollio at Thursday’s auction at St George’s Hall.

The 44-year-old, who is currently promoting her autobiography, My Beautiful Game, last night said she is looking forward to doing her bit to raise money for Cancer Research.

She said: “I am very excited about the night, it will be a lot of fun but I am also pleased that I will have the opportunity to help raise some money for a cancer charity.

“I am also looking forward to coming to Liverpool again. I have really enjoyed myself whenever I have been there – usually to watch a football match!

“I have not seen much more of it – except the Tate Gallery – but I would like to. I am a big supporter of Capital of Culture and I really believe Liverpool deserves the title.”

The famous WAG said though her partner Eriksson is now the coach at Manchester City, she does not plan to base herself in the North West because of work commitments in London and abroad.

And she laughed when asked if she preferred Manchester to Liverpool. “They are both very different cities,” she said. “I will be travelling to watch games, but I have a lot of work in London.”

Run by Alliance and Leicester, the Directors Under the Hammer auction is being billed as the company’s big business charity event for 2007.

Staff from major companies across the region will attend and directors from some of the biggest have volunteered to join in the auction.

Going under the hammer, along with Ms Dell’Ollio, are Michael Finnigan, the founding director of Preston firm Advance Performance, Denise Walker, a partner at the Liverpool branch of solicitors Brabners Chaffe Street, Richard Gregory, the chief operating officer of Warrington firm Latitude, and managing director of McEntegart Marketing in Liverpool, Geraldine McEntegart.

They will be joined by another mystery lot, which could be either Dragons Den entrepreneur Peter Jones or Mary Portas, the director of Yellow Door and columnist from The Telegraph.

After the directors have gone under the hammer, there will then be a silent auction for novelty items, including flowers to be sent to the office every month for a year, weekend breaks and paintings from the Spirit of Liverpool.

After helping to raise what is hoped to be thousands of pounds for charity, guests will be treated to champagne, music and entertainment at the Jazz/Swing bar themed event.

jessicashaughnessy