FOOTBALL Newport Vets 3, Spurs Vets 1
NEWPORT Vets sprung a surprise on Spurs Legends on Sunday, with three top-class goals in the second half to claim victory at St George’s Park.
After a goalless first half featuring plenty of thrills and spills, and a huge penalty shot by Trevor Wilkinson, Newport pulled out all the stops with goals from Steve BONSER, Robbie BYRNE and a brilliant lob from Martin RAGGETT.
Substitute Micky JARRETT scored for Spurs from a goalmouth scramble and they came close to netting a second in injury time but their first shot hit the post, while their second was saved at point-blank range by man of the match John Simpkins.
The game was played in good spirit, apart from one moment when tempers threatened to boil over following an over-zealous tackle by one of the Newport players.
But that was all forgotten in the post-match banter in the St George’s Park bar, where players mingled with fans, signed autographs and had their pictures taken.
Tony Galvin, who scored the winner in Spurs’ 1981 FA Cup victory, thanked everyone for coming and for the hospitality shown to the team.
“The welcome we have had here has been excellent, we don’t normally get this treatment,” he told supporters, before explaining. “We have been up since 5am so we were very tired.”
As well as being a great sporting spectacle, the event was also held to raise money for the Newport Vets charity fund, which is being built up before being distributed to nominated local causes.
A raffle was held as well as an auction, which featured plenty of Spurs’ memorabilia — including a signed match-worn Gareth Bale shirt — as well as signed cricket shirts and a football signed by the whole England Euro ‘92 squad.
Jamie Bray, who organised the event, said: “It was a fantastic day. We don’t know how much we’ve raised yet but we certainly know we raised a few smiles!”
Newport Vets: Kev Winchcombe, Andy Watson, Steve Legg, Andy Butler, Mark Isaacson, Martin Young, Simon Butler, Mick Butler, Darren Moore, Martin Raggett, Mark Hutton. Subs: Richie Woodburn, John Simpkins, Robbie Byrne, Steve Mumford, Leon Backshaw, Ginny Taylor, Steve Bonser, Kevin Coghlan.
Spurs Legends: Gareth Howell, Paul Miller, Tony Galvin, John Lacy, Stuart Nethercott, Mark Falco, Clive Wilson, Andy Sinton, Trevor Wilkinson, Garry Brooke, David Howells. Subs: Micky Southam, Micky Jarrett.