West Brom and Stourbridge legends football match raises almost £15k for Mary Stevens Hospice

The charity match, organised by Matt Webb and Mark Naylor in memory of Matt’s mum Jane, saw all-star teams from West Bromwich Albion and the Glassboys go head-to-head, raising £14,643.08 for the Stourbridge cause.

Among the star-studded line-ups on the day were former professionals such as Darren Moore, Bob Taylor, Andy Johnson, Paul Peschisolido and Dele Adebola, who helped to bring in a bumper crowd of nearly 2,000 people.

The match finished 1-1, with Bob Taylor scoring for the Albion and Damian Whitcombe on target for Stourbridge. Both players rolled back the years to find the top corner with goals of the highest quality – to the delight of the fans.

It was also a very special day for more than 100 local children, who all had the chance to take part in the game as mascots, ball boys and girls and flag bearers. 44 mascots led the teams out at kick-off, before another 44 led them out again after half-time.

Matt Webb, who captained the Stourbridge FC team, said: “I don’t think I could have dreamt of a more perfect way of remembering Mum.

“She’d have been over the moon to see so many people come out and just enjoy being together as a family, so I’d just like to thank everyone who came along and supported us on the day.

“I’d also like to thank everyone involved in the organisation of the event, as so many people came together from so many different walks of life to make it a truly unforgettable day.

“It was a really special way to spend a Sunday, and something that will live me with for the rest of my life.”

As well as the football, a family fun day including the chance to meet Baggie Bird, face-painting, sweets stalls, games, tombolas, and a bouncy castle brought in more funds for the Hagley Road-hospice.

There was also a raffle and sports memorabilia auction, with many of the items donated by current WBA first-team stars such as Chris Brunt, Ben Foster and Saido Berahino.

Two local children were also given a surprise treat, thanks to the incredible generosity of a local resident. During the auction and raffle, Lisa Johnson won a pair of boots and a pair of gloves signed and worn by the West Bromwich Albion and England goalkeeper Ben Foster.

But rather than keeping the priceless memento for herself, the charitable Lisa gave both the boots and the gloves away to 8-year-old Owen and Lexie, 7, who both play for Stourbridge FC’s under-9’s team.

Amanda Bowen, Mary Stevens Hospice’s community engagement officer, said: “It’s just been remarkable from start to finish.

“The first time we met, Matt came to see me with a tiny notebook and told me he’d love to try and raise £500. The first thing I did was tell him to buy a bigger notebook.

“The support this football match and charity fun day has received from our local community has been nothing short of overwhelming, we’ve had people getting in touch as far away as Oxfordshire to find out more about it and get involved.

“The two lads at the heart of it, Mark and Matt, are two of the nicest men you could ever wish to meet and both football clubs involved have just gone so far above and beyond anything we could ever have asked of them.

“Everyone involved has worked so hard and it was really special to see it become such a success, and raise so much money in memory of a wonderful woman.”

The match was sponsored by JPM insurance, a Birmingham-based independent, insurance firm who provide a range of commercial insurance services to businesses of all sizes.

For more information about the work of the Mary Stevens Hospice, call 01384 377 778, or visit www.marystevenshospice.co.uk