TV talent to tackle former pros in charity football match

The match will be played on Sunday, May 8th, kicking off at 2pm, but tickets are already on sale priced at £8 for adults and £5 for children with a limited number (just 30) of special “meet and greet” VIP passes at £20 each. All are available by logging on to www.rosemere.org.uk or www.wegottickets.com/event/534054

The game is being organised by Whittle-le-Woods football fan and chef Ian Crowther, Chorley’s Tony Cartwright and former soldier Damian Chamberlain, of Oswaldtwistle, who is also player manager of the Blackburn-based Poppy-Mai FC first team. It has sponsorship from Green Thumb Blackburn, John Harrison Sports, Marc Darcy, Preston’s Wright Way to Travel and Ainscough Training Services Ltd and Wheelton’s The Dressers Arms plus Jet2.com, which sponsors the TV team.

Ian, a cancer survivor, raised more than £4,000 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation when he arranged for a team of former local pros to play against a “best of local leagues” XI in a match at AFC Darwen’s ground last summer.

The pro team included former Blackburn Rovers, Burnley and Preston North End stars – three teams that Preston-born defensive midfielder Len Johnrose played for during his professional career that also took him to Bury FC, Swansea and Hartlepool Utd. In March 2017, Johnrose was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and since then has been fundraising for a cure.

Ian said: “I am delighted to be involved in putting on what I think will be a fantastic game of football for what I know are two absolutely fantastic causes.

“Last summer’s game raised a great sum of money for Rosemere Cancer Foundation and had almost 400 spectators. I am expecting the gate for this game to be much bigger, which is why we have moved grounds. Football people are very supportive of one another and there is a huge amount of respect and admiration in this area for Len Johnrose for what he achieved in the game and for what he is now doing to raise awareness of MND and funds to help find a cure.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, which is the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including those at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Teaching Hospitals.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free. For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk