Celebrities draw record crowd at Ashton Town
Mon 17th August 2009 | Ashton Town | By Ian Templeman
Soap fans from across the North West crammed into Ashton Town's ground to watch a Hollyoaks XI beat local side Lobbies FC following a tense penalty shoot out in a charity football match - smashing the club's attendance record and raising over £3,500 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in the process.
1,427 fans crowded into Edge Green Street ground for the one-off game, easily surpassing the club's previous best of 650 which was set back in 1969 against Accrington Stanley.
Special guest and X Factor star Laura White kicked off the match, which was organised by Ashton Town's Commercial Manager Mark Hayes, a Tesco employee, who came up with the idea through Tesco's partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, the Tesco Charity of the Year in 2009.
The Hollyoaks side, which featured stars including Chris Fountain (Justin) and Nick Pickard (Tony), raced into a 3-0 lead before the Lobbies team drew level with a spirited second half comeback.
Despite both teams having late chances to win the game, the final whistle sounded with the sides level at 3-3 sending the match to penalties. With the Lobbies missing two of their first four spot-kicks, man of the match Nico Mirallegro (Newt) calmly slotted the winning penalty to send the Hollyoaks team and fans home happy.
Following the game, the Hollyoaks boys signed autographs and posed for photos while fellow cast member Carly Stenson (Steph) - who was watching on with boyfriend and injured team member Ricky Whittle (Calvin) - joined Laura White to draw raffle prizes including a top-of-the-range laptop and signed football shirt.
Nick Pickard, Tony in Hollyoaks, said:
"We had a tough game out there but I'm delighted we managed to grab the win at the end. It's fantastic to see so many fans down here cheering us all on and helping to raise so much for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign."
X Factor star Laura White said:
"I've had a great time meeting everyone and it's been such an exciting match! This is a brilliant cause so I'm really pleased that the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and Tesco are raising so much money to help children with muscle disease."
All proceeds from the match have been donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Tesco Charity of the Year 2009 partnership. This appeal aims to raise £3 million to provide vital, specialist equipment, such as electric page turners, mobile arm supports or powered wheelchairs, for hundreds of children living with muscular dystrophy across the UK through the "Giving children equipment to be independent" campaign.
The photo below shows the Hollyoaks team and Laura White before the kick off. Picture courtesy of David Galpin.
Celebrities draw record crowd at Ashton Town
Mon 17th August 2009 | Ashton Town
By Ian Templeman
Soap fans from across the North West crammed into Ashton Town's ground to watch a Hollyoaks XI beat local side Lobbies FC following a tense penalty shoot out in a charity football match - smashing the club's attendance record and raising over £3,500 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in the process.
1,427 fans crowded into Edge Green Street ground for the one-off game, easily surpassing the club's previous best of 650 which was set back in 1969 against Accrington Stanley.
Special guest and X Factor star Laura White kicked off the match, which was organised by Ashton Town's Commercial Manager Mark Hayes, a Tesco employee, who came up with the idea through Tesco's partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, the Tesco Charity of the Year in 2009.
The Hollyoaks side, which featured stars including Chris Fountain (Justin) and Nick Pickard (Tony), raced into a 3-0 lead before the Lobbies team drew level with a spirited second half comeback.
Despite both teams having late chances to win the game, the final whistle sounded with the sides level at 3-3 sending the match to penalties. With the Lobbies missing two of their first four spot-kicks, man of the match Nico Mirallegro (Newt) calmly slotted the winning penalty to send the Hollyoaks team and fans home happy.
Following the game, the Hollyoaks boys signed autographs and posed for photos while fellow cast member Carly Stenson (Steph) - who was watching on with boyfriend and injured team member Ricky Whittle (Calvin) - joined Laura White to draw raffle prizes including a top-of-the-range laptop and signed football shirt.
Nick Pickard, Tony in Hollyoaks, said:
"We had a tough game out there but I'm delighted we managed to grab the win at the end. It's fantastic to see so many fans down here cheering us all on and helping to raise so much for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign."
X Factor star Laura White said:
"I've had a great time meeting everyone and it's been such an exciting match! This is a brilliant cause so I'm really pleased that the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and Tesco are raising so much money to help children with muscle disease."
All proceeds from the match have been donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Tesco Charity of the Year 2009 partnership. This appeal aims to raise £3 million to provide vital, specialist equipment, such as electric page turners, mobile arm supports or powered wheelchairs, for hundreds of children living with muscular dystrophy across the UK through the "Giving children equipment to be independent" campaign.
The photo below shows the Hollyoaks team and Laura White before the kick off. Picture courtesy of David Galpin.
