Spurs legends see off Hunts vets in charity game

Darren Anderton, the former Spurs and England World Cup player, was the star attraction at the charity game which was organised by Huntingdon Town Football Club to raise money for Smile Train, an international charity that provides surgery for children with cleft lips and cleft palettes.

Anderton – who played for England 30 times and starred in the 1998 World Cup in France – was joined by fellow Spurs luminaries David Howells, Mark Falco, Tony Galvin, Gareth Howells, Stuart Nethercott, John Lacy, Kevin Watson, Trevor Wilkinson, Micky Southam and Micky Jarrett. The team was managed by Terry Naylor.

Huntingdon Town chairman Paul Hunt, who spent much of the match wandering around the ground selling raffle tickets to win a signed Spurs shirt and ball, said: “I am delighted with the turn out. We are raising money for Smile Train of course but we also want to show off the club. We want people to come back to Huntingdon Town.

“We are definitely looking to do more of these games. We want Chelsea and Arsenal up here and we shall try to get Manchester United and other teams. It would be great to have different legends games throughout the year.

“We had a brilliant response from fromer Huntingdon players as well. It’s great to see Dave Blackwell in goal. It’s all good.”

One name missing from the vets team sheet was Ricky Marheineke. The former Huntingdon player is now the manager of the United Counties League first team and they are doing rather well. Second only to Harborough Town in Division One, promotion to the Premier Division is very much on the cards this season. On the Saturday his team beat Olney Town 1-0.

Was he tempted to play? “I’m not old enough,” he joked, adding: “It’s nice to see such a crowd turn out for the game and it’s good to see some old faces on the field that I actually used to play with.It goes to show there are still some good players out there.”

The club says more than �1000 was raised for the charity.