Charities the winner
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Fifty players turned out at Frenchfield in memory of the late Tony Hopper and helped raise thousands for charity.
On what would have been Tony’s 50th birthday, dozens of former team mates slipped the boots on and produced an entertaining kickabout, benefitting the Motor Neurone Disease and Eden Valley Hospice in the process.
Hopper represented three Cumbrian clubs during a distinguished career in the nineties and 2000s, and the two competing teams were drawn from the trilogy of Carlisle United, Penrith and Workington.
Mick Wadsworth was in charge of the United ‘old boys’ with Dave Heslop and Kenny Brown overseeing the combined Penrith/ Workington squad.
Like Hopper, many of the players had represented all three clubs and it didn’t take long to recognise the cast, albeit some of whom were slightly heavier and didn’t possess the hairstyles they did in their prime.
Danny Grainger & Kyle May
The skills were still evident, though, and Grant Holt’s sublime finish for the opening goal drew generous applause. So too did Scott Allison’s firmly struck shot from the edge of the box soon after.
Those goals gave the Bonny Blues/Reds team a two-goal lead by the interval, and they were 4-1 ahead midway through the second half when Craig Wilson and Graham Goulding also got their names on the scoresheet.
But, in true charity match tradition, an unexpected hero emerged. Tony’s youngest son, Jack, joined elder brother, Dan, and his Uncle Darren on the pitch. And, after squandering the easiest of chances, he helped himself to a hat-trick adding to the two earlier United goals.
Each goal was greeted by the biggest cheer of the afternoon.
Carlisle were ahead for the first time in the contest but parity was restored when another youngster, Finn Hoolickin, bagged the tenth goal of the afternoon. The outcome, a 5-5 draw - the perfect result!
Scott Allison & Michael Reed
Fitting that the name Hopper should make the headlines but let’s not forget the inspirational Sue Hopper who has spearheaded the admirable charity work since her husband’s passing nearly eight years ago.
She thanked the crowd at the end of the game which, along with the formal dinner the previous evening, had raised over £20,000 for good causes.
