How would you like to experience playing for a team managed by Boro boss Gordon Strachan at the Riverside? Or maybe you’d love to be coached by the club’s Academy supremos David Parnaby and Mark Proctor?
That’s the unique chance Boro fans are being given if they make the highest bids to take part in a 90-minute, 11-a-side game on the evening of the FA Cup final, Saturday May 15.
Half the profits from the game will go towards the proposed reconstruction of the National School for Arts and Trades in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hundreds of pupils and staff from the school were killed when the school was destroyed by an earthquake in January.
The rest of the cash raised will go towards the Middlesbrough Diocesan Youth Mission Team being set up by one of the game’s organisers, Fr Paul Farrer.
Strachan’s side will take on a team managed by MFC Academy Manager Parnaby and Under-18s coach Mark Proctor, the former Boro and Nottingham Forest star.
The duo led Boro to victory in the 2004 FA Youth Cup with young stars such as David Wheater, Adam Johnson, Lee Cattermole, James Morrison, Matthew Bates, Andrew Taylor and Tony McMahon.
Ex-Football League referee Graham Frankland, from Stockton, is coming out of retirement to officiate.
Organisers hope to give the charity players the nearest possible experience to being a professional footballer so winning bidders will change in the Riverside dressing rooms, have a pre-match teamtalk from Strachan or Proctor and Parnaby, run on to the pitch to Boro’s Pigbag theme tune and take part in the match under the Riverside floodlights.
Teams and goalscorers will be announced over the stadium PA system and electronic scoreboards, there’ll be official team sheets and the players will wear and keep shirts sporting their names on the back.
All the kit and shirt printing has been donated by Middlesbrough firm MSV Sport, who supply leisurewear to football clubs including Boro, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, Basle, Austria Vienna and the Scottish FA.
Players will also receive action photographs from the game, while participants will also have the chance to purchase a match DVD.
The game will kick off at 8pm and spectators including friends and family will be welcome to attend for a £2 donation to charity.
Wannabe Boro stars can bid now to play in set positions in the fans’ match by emailing bids of at least £150 to charitymatch@holynameandstthomasmore.org.uk.
Bidders should put the position in which they would like to play in the title of their email. They will be emailed back to let them know if they are the highest bidder, or if they need to increase their bid.
The organisers would also like to hear from those who would prefer to play only 45 minutes. Again, bids should be made by email.
Top bids can also be checked her on Boro’s official website. The final date for bids is 10pm on Thursday May 6.
Bids of at least £50 for mascots and £20 for ballboys and ballgirls can also be made.
There is also the opportunity for local companies to sponsor the two teams. Team sponsors will have their company names on the team shirts, stadium scoreboards, PA announcements and team sheets.
The fundraisers include Middlesbrough Football Club’s Communications Manager Dave Allan, Website Editor Mike McGeary and Boro Season Card holder Fr Paul.
Through similar events over the past two years, the fundraisers helped raise £13,000 for Baghdad Central Training Hospital and £12,000 for Teesside Hospice.
Join the event’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=105446389486805.