Two devoted rugby fans will be remembered at a charity match to be held at the Vale of Lune over the August bank holiday.
The event on Sunday August 28 at Powder House Lane has been organised in memory of the late Neal Kitchen and Roy Fellows.
The match will be played between Vale Vikings and Neal's Seals, a team of ex-players who knew Neal.
All money raised on the day will go to Morecambe Bay Foodbank.
Neal's son, event organiser and former rugby player Matthew Kitchen, said: “My dad used to drive the minibus to wherever we were playing as kids. He worked six days a week and he’d still come and drive the minibus for us on a Sunday and take us where we needed to go.
“Roy would go to pretty much every Vale game, he was a number one fan and everyone at the club kept in close contact with him.”
Matthew has held the fundraiser for the last two years, but for a different charity each time.
"This year, with the current scenario in the world and our local area, we chose food banks because no one should be struggling to eat and it’s gut-wrenching for me personally because you imagine kids and families not having anything to eat and it’s heartbreaking," he said.
“Last year we achieved just short of £5,000 and this year it would be great to do the same, but it’s just as much as we can raise.”
“The event’s much bigger this year, we’ve got live music, which will last until around 9pm. We’ve got a sports memorabilia auction. I’ve got some connections in the boxing, rugby and football world and reached out to people, and through people I know and social media, managed to get some other bits and bobs signed."
The list of items on auction include boxing gloves and signed football shirts, including those of Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Morecambe FC’s whole team.
Friends and family of Matthew and his partner Chloe will be helping out on the day, along with Vale of Lune’s current players.
Matthew thanked Lancastrian Estates and Oakmere Homes, the two sponsors of the event.
Q&W Entertainments will also be providing the music on the day. Vale’s outdoor bar, The Clubhouse, will also be open.
The event starts at noon and admission is free, with opportunities to donate money in a number of activities throughout the day such as a raffle draw and a memorabilia auction.
Matthew is happy to answer any queries people might have about the day on matthew.kitchen@lancastrianestates.co.uk
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