Last updated at 15:35, Monday, 26 July 2010

• Watch a video clip....

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

A CROWD of around 1,200 braved awful weather conditions to watch some of British television’s most famous faces play football at Holker Street on Saturday.

The Soap Stars ran out 4-1 victors against The Bay All Stars in a highly-entertaining charity match.

Among the well known TV actors were Coronation Street’s Sam Aston (aka Chesney Battersby-Brown), Ryan Thomas (aka Jason Grimshaw) and man-of-the-match Alan Halsall (aka Tyrone Dobbs). Ralf Little – who starred in The Royle Family and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps – ran the show from the centre of midfield.

The game also saw Barrow AFC joint-managers Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan line-up on opposing teams. Sheridan scored the opening goal from the penalty spot before later limping off with a hamstring injury.

He wasn’t the only one in the wars. Late arrival Ryan Thomas had been on the pitch less than 10 minutes when he was taken off on a stretcher with a suspected ankle ligament injury. Despite the pain, the actor joined his famous team-mates in signing autographs and having photos taken with star-struck spectators after the game.

The Bay All Stars team was made up of pay-to-play workers from the EDF Energy power station at Heysham, four members of the Great Britain Paralympics football team, Barrow AFC legend Neil Doherty, Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock, Evening Mail reporter Lee Procter and Bayliss.

The game was level at 1-1 at half-time before The Soap Stars turned on the style in the second half.

The annual event is usually staged at Morecambe FC, but was this year moved to Barrow. Martyn Butlin, press officer for Heysham power station, said: “The whole event was a big success. The spectators, the celebrities, all the players, everyone has enjoyed it. Barrow AFC have been absolutely superb. I can’t state how much hard work they put in to stage the game. If Barrow will have us again, we’d love to come back.”

Money raised from the match will be split between three charities – the 2010 Great Britain Paralympic team, Cancer Care and Cumbria Community Fund.

Evening Mail reporter Lee Procter played in the game. Here he describes the experience:

“WHERE do you play?” asked The Bay All Stars gaffer.
“Usually midfield, sometimes up front,” I answered, while nervously lacing up my borrowed boots in the dugout.
“How does left-back sound?” came the reply.
“Great... but I’m right-footed!”
And so that was it. The time had come for me and my basically non-existent left peg. After years of sitting in the press box writing about those treading Barrow AFC’s hallowed turf, I was about to fulfil my own dream of playing at Holker Street.
Okay, so it was 15 minutes at the end of a charity match, but I was out to make an impression – if only to stop the relentless ribbing from Bluebirds joint-bosses Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan.
Sprinting proudly across the pitch amid the pouring rain, I took my position at left-back. “Hey, man from the Evening Mail, can we have your autograph?” came a sarcastic cry from someone on the Popular Side.
The jovial shout brought a wry smile from my opposing number on The Soap Stars right wing, ginger-topped Sam Aston, better known as Chesney from Coronation Street.
A bit of banter with the 17-year-old actor and I realised I was on a hiding to nothing. Chesney, sorry Sam (yes, the professional journalist that I am, I called him Chesney throughout) was the star turn at this football shindig. An unexpected addition to the Soap Stars line-up, the day’s loudest cheers were reserved for when the cheeky-faced teenager had the ball at his feet.
“Go on Chesney, skin him!” shouted one spectator as the famous TV youngster threatened to turn me inside-out. No chance. Famous or not, fan-favourite or not, this was my moment in the limelight. I put the tackle in and won the ball. It was all a bit surreal, really. Here I was, going head-to-head with a kid my Coronation Street-addicted nana speaks of like one of her own!
At 3-1 down and with time running out, I decided to venture forward more and more. I even attempted a 20-yard shot. It was, however, more back-pass than postage stamp top corner! In the end, my main contribution was an assist in the opposing team’s fourth and final goal of the game. Oops!
Soon my 15 minutes of fame were over and it was back to the day job of conducting interviews.
Fair play to the soap stars, they were all up for a chat. They then spent around an hour signing autographs. Top blokes. Top event.
Thanks to the organisers for letting me play and Barry Postlethwaite for the loan of the boots.

After the game the Soap Stars chatted to the Evening Mail. Here's what they had to say:

RALF Little said: “I enjoyed it. It’s getting tougher the older you get though!
“It was a great crowd today. Despite the rain, they we’re really up for it and hopefully they’ve had a good time.
“I’ve never been to Barrow before, so it’s nice to put another tick on the list. I thought we played well, but so did the opposition. It was a nice, clean game, which isn’t always the case in these games, especially when the pitch is slick like this and the tackles go flying in. It was nice to win.”
“Ryan Thomas got injured, but I’m not sure. Put it this way, he’s walking around now and seems absolutely fine. I think we need a steward’s enquiry on that one.”

SAM Aston said: “I loved it here today. I don’t get chance to play much football because of work and everything, so it’s always nice when I can get to these nice grounds and join in.
“The crowd today were fantastic, even though it was tipping down. It’s my first time in Barrow, hopefully I might be returning.”
 

RYAN Thomas said: “What I played of it, about eight-and-a-half minutes, I enjoyed.
“It was hard out there because of the weather. The ball was slipping away a lot, but we got the win in the end which was nice.”
On the injury he suffered, Thomas added: “I was just lazy on the foot, I went down and tore ligaments.
“It wasn’t a tackle or anyone else’s fault but my own. I turned up late, didn’t warm up properly and that might have something to do with it. It’s still painful now but that laughing gas helped!” I asked where you can get that from but apparently you can’t!”

ALAN Halsall said: “It was fantastic today and nice to get an away win.
“We brought a good team along, some faces people will recognise and the long journey was well worth it.
“Today was all about raising money and awareness – and we’ve done that. It’s nice to be captain and man-of-the-match. I don’t know what to do next, bus driver maybe?!”

First published at 13:04, Monday, 26 July 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk