Football at the Riverside – Latest!

Apr, 2008

Hi to you all,

Yet another update for all those who have bid for a place, bought a ball boy/girl slot, or expressed any kind of interest in our GAME FOR BAGHDAD supporting the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Baghdad.

LATEST NEWS

A vacancy

Left Back for Team Two is up for grabs. The bidder has had to withdraw due to injury.

Get your mates to bid now!

Substitutes

Two subs for each team are also required – at least a 10 minute run out for each.

Start bidding now!

More great news!

We are delighted that thanks to the generosity of MSV, The Knights Club and The Rovardi Family all players will have their own kit for the match which they will be able to keep.

Boro legends Mark Proctor and Steve Vickers will manage the teams. Thanks to them for giving their time to this great cause.

Mark Proctor

Mark began his career with Middlesbrough in 1978. He joined Notts Forest in 1981 for £440,000 before moving on to Sunderland in 1983 for £115,000. He remained with Sunderland for four years before moving to Sheffield Weds in 1987 for £275,000. After two years in Sheffield he returned to Middlesbrough in 1989 for £300,000. He had further spells with Tranmere, South Shields and Hartlepool before retiring in 1998. Mark will manage in our Charity game just days after completing his first full season as manager of Livingston. After several years coaching in the accademy at Boro, he had spells as assistant manager at Darlington and Hibs. We are delighted Mark is going to be with us.

Steve Vickers

Steve began his professional career at Tranmere Rovers, who signed him from local outfit Spennymoor Utd, and where he forged a reputation as one of the classiest defenders in England’s lower leagues. He joined Boro in 1993, winning the club’s Player of the Year Award for the 93-94 season. He was loaned to Crystal Palace in 2001, then to Birmingham a season later. This deal was then made permanent for £400,000, and Vickers helped them gain promotion to the Premiership. Vickers retired from playing at the end of an injury-plagued 2002-03, which included a knee operation before the start of the season, a badly-gashed ankle following a two-footed challenge from a certain Wayne Rooneywhich resulted in Rooney’s first senior red card, and a succession of minor problems. After his retirement from playing, he went into property development in his native north-east of England. He is currently a soccer coach for non-league club Richmond Town.

World Cup and FA Cup Final Ref George Courtney will run the game along with two linesmen. Thanks to them also.

George Courtney

Mr Courtney has reffed The Charity Shield in 1979, the FA Cup Final in 1980 and the League Cup Final in 1983. He was the English ref at the 1984 Euro Championships and officiated in the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups.In ’86 he reffed the World Cup 3rd place play off – the furthest an English ref had gone in the competition since 1974. When he calls us down the tunnel we can be sure that we are in the hands of a top ref!

Both teams will be announced on the Stadium PA, electronic scoreboard and official team sheets before the game.

There will be a pro sports photographer shooting the game – you will be able to purchase pro shots of you in action after the event.

The vast majority of bidders have supported the need for substitutes. With this in mind we will make sure there are a few on each side and they will get a run out at the managers discretion. We also have to let the managers run the team as they see fit – otherwise there’s no point in them being there. I hope you all understand this – and see it as a way of making sure we all enjoy the game.

As I write this we have a couple of ball boy/girl slots left (£20 each must be over 8yrs old). Just drop me a line.

Bidding is going very well, the price you pay for your game, coupled with support from our sponsors and MFC
means that we should be able to give around £4,000 to the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Baghdad.

We have published the rules we will follow for the close of bidding at NOON on FRIDAY APRIL 25 can I recommend that you all read them carefully to make sure you have the best chance of success. They will be published again at the bottom of this email, you can see them at mfc.co.uk and also middlesbrough-diocese.org.uk

It is becoming more and more clear to us here at ‘bidding HQ!’ that there are those who – at the close of play – will lose out. Although we are here to raise as much as we can for charity we would love to be able to give everyone a game. We know that isn’t going to be possible but if you are getting close to your price limit and feel you may loose out why not try bidding for 45mins?

HERE ARE THE RULES FOR BIDDING AGAIN……..GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU………..

Rules of the Match

Bidding

All bids must be received by email to frpaul@holynameandstthomasmore.org.uk up to deadline day of Friday April 25 2008. All bids must include full name, contact number and address and should clearly indicate the position and duration of the place being bid for.
Bidders who may not be in a position to make live bids close to the deadline may submit their highest ‘sealed’ bid in advance in complete confidence by email to frpaul@holynameandstthomasmore.org.uk. Should you be outbid, the organisers will then bid on your behalf in increments of £10 up to your limit. We will be unable to contact you if your limit is exceeded by another bidder.
A mobile telephone number will be sent via email to all potential bidders on Thursday April 24. Bidders will have the option to submit late bids (on April 25 only) via text message to this number or by email to frpaul@holynameandstthomasmore.org.uk.
Bidding closes at 12 noon on Friday April 25 2008. Any emails or text message bids received after 12 noon will not count. The organisers’ decision is final.
The highest bids for each position at 12 noon on Friday April 25 2008 will guarantee the bidder a place in one of the teams, subject to payment being received in full by Thursday May 1 2008.
All successful bidders will be notified by email (or text, if they have bid by text) on the afternoon of Friday April 25 2008. They must provide a postal address by return email. An invoice will be sent to them along with a form allowing them to Gift Aid their bid donation and further match details.
Payment in full must be made by cheque by Thursday May 1 2008. If payment is not received by this date, the position will be offered to the person who made the next highest bid for that position.
The match will take place on the pitch at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough, on Monday May 12 with a 6pm kick-off.
Mark Proctor and AN Other will manage either team. Which team they manage will be decided by the toss of a coin 90 minutes before kick-off.
A further toss of the coin will decide which team is assigned home dressing room and which is assigned the away dressing room.

On the Day

Players will be allowed access to the Riverside Stadium dressing rooms and pitch from 60 minutes before kick-off.

Players and spectators may enter the stadium via the main reception. On arrival, players will be directed to their dressing room.

Players should report to their manager no later than 45 minutes before kick-off.

Kit will be ready on arrival. Kit will be the players’ to keep as a memento of the day. Players must provide their own boots and shinpads.

The referee will call the two teams into the tunnel approximately five minutes before kick-off.

The teams will then emerge from the tunnel onto the pitch, for the first half, to Boro’s Pigbag theme tune and, for the second half, to Boro’s former theme tune of The Power Game.

Both teams will be announced over the PA system and on the stadium’s electronic message/score boards. Official team sheets will also be given out in the dressing room prior to kick-off.

The managers reserve the right to organise the tactics, formations and positions of the team during the game as they see fit.

All players are reminded that this is a friendly match for charity – you are living the dream, not fighting the war! So please enjoy it and show respect to the referee and your opponents at all times.

A professional photographer will attend the match and photographs will be available to purchase at a later date.

Post-match showers will be available in both dressing rooms.

All players and spectators are invited to meet up post-match at The Knights Club, 3 Southfield Road, Middlesbrough,
where win, lose or draw we’ll all have chance to celebrate a great occasion.

We will also be able to announce how much money we’ve made for the Baghdad Children’s Cancer Hospital.