"Soccer Aid 2012: England v Rest of the World" Charity Match:
One of the world's biggest regular charity matches to raise money for UNICEF involving a mixture of celebs and football greats.
Line-ups including John Bishop, Michael Sheen, Will Ferrell, Mike Myers, Roy Keane, Seaman, Sheringham, Crespo, Seedorf, Owen, Van der Saar...
Old Trafford, crowd of 67,000
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_Aid#2012:_Series_4
Pre-match banter & interviews with celebs John Bishop, Michael Sheen, Will Ferrell (a keen footballer in his youth who majored in Sports Broadcasting, a Chelsea and Ipswich fan)
Interviewer: "Any advice you want to give to the new guys?"
Mike Myers: "Pee before you go out."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ASWjihhxyg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucs2ugVQj7M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PMwX4hRHuo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7hMl4BitFI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Xs6qMa-dQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzLcbHTMm58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S31Ww8hT_rU
FULL MATCH:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwcbLnc--0c
"Pace is something that a lot of these players can remember..."
Great opening goal by Sergio Pizzorno of Kasabian rock group for Rest of the World that would look good in the Premier League (only the third celebrity to core in a Soccer Aid match). Pizzorno is Italian-born but Leicester- raised and would have preferred playing for Leicester City to being a rock star...Man of the Match award for this game.
Gordon Ramsey was stretchered off after five minutes after a crunching Sheringham tackle and was taken to hospital.
Some of the celebs are actually quite good e.g. Olly Murs (played non-league), Gordon Ramsey (Glasgow Rangers trialist until career ended by injury), John Bishop (former non-league player), Michael Sheen (scouted by Arsenal aged 12 but family unwilling to relocate to London - instead became one of Britain's greatest living actors). Aston Merrygold of boy band JLS is a former England schoolboy international. They tend to pick celebs who can play a bit. Even Mike Myers is the son of Liverpudlians who has played all his life (plays for LA team Hollywood United FC).
Woody Harrelson comes on in the last ten minutes of these games and is a football fan, though has never played much: "On June 6, 2010, Harrelson took part in Soccer Aid 2010 at Old Trafford in Manchester. After being brought on as a substitute for Gordon Ramsay, Harrelson took the final penalty in the penalty shootout, following a 2–2 draw after 91 minutes. Despite being initially unaware of exactly from where his kick had to be taken, Harrelson scored to win the game for "The Rest of the World" team, beating England for the first time since the tournament began. When later interviewed he claimed that he "didn't even remember the moment of scoring."
Some of the former star footballers still look pretty good.
Best former pros?
Best celebrities?