Goalfest at Shrewsbury charity clash as footballers close in on £500 target in memory of loved ones
A group of footballers are are on target to net £500 for charity in memory of loved ones lost to cancer.
Shrewsbury side FC Nations took on Wolverhampton club Bushbury Hill in a charity friendly at the sports village in Sundorne.
Around 100 people turned out to cheer the teams on as FC Nations emerged victorious with a 10-4 win.
But more important than the scoreline was the cause, with the match being dedicated to the late Jill Byron and Tom Peart, grandparents of two of the players.
The match has so far raised more than £460 for Cancer Research UK and, with raffle ticket sales still going ahead of a draw this Saturday, it is hoped that the final total will top £500.
A spokesman for FC Nations said: "The weather was good, the people were good, we won, so it couldn't have gone much better.
"It was 5-4 at half time and then the fresh legs came on in the second half.
"The dreaded C word has affected a number of us. Most recently a couple of our players have had family members pass away, hence the timing of this event."
He added: "We set up in 2013, so it has been going for some time. It was just a Monday night kick-about but then a few said we should set up a Sunday league side.
"We started off having a friendly a month and now the lads are pushing to get into the league next season.
"A lot of our matches have been for charity. We've done a couple for Ukraine, and one for a defibrillator after a player had a heart attack on the pitch.
"We've got a mixed bag of ethnicities. We've got some Romanian, Polish, Jamaican and Portuguese players.
"There's a real blend of abilities and backgrounds. We've got players who are 45/50 and young lads aged 18 or 19. There's a family feel to it. Hence the support for the Cancer Research game."
In the last year, FC Nations have raised more than £1,000 for good causes. Tickets can still be bought for the raffle. Prizes include a bottle of whiskey, a BMW driving experience and a women's cut and blow dry. The draw takes place this Saturday. For tickets, search for FC Nations on Facebook.
