FOOTBALL fans turned out to support a charity match featuring stars from the football and showbusiness worlds.

North-East footballers, including former Darlington players, lined up to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.

The match, between an Allstar XI and North-East XI, took place at The Northern Echo Darlington Arena yesterday, the day after the culmination of Darlington FC’s league season, which brought an end to Football League status in the town.

Ex-Darlington stars on the pitch included Marco Gabbiadini, Neil Wainwright and Andy Toman.

Speaking after the game, Wainwright said: “I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the charity game. I had a really good laugh and it was great to catch up with a few old teammates.”

Other North-East players on the pitch were ex-Middlesbrough and Spanish international midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, who lives in Yarm, near Stockton, former Newcastle United full back John Beresford, and ex-Sunderland player Kevin Ball.

Stars from the television world also pulled on their boots for the action, with Ralf Little and Ryan Thomas, who plays Jason Grimshaw on Coronation Street, among those on the pitch.

The teams wore shirts made especially for the game.

An estimated crowd of 400 turned up to support the charity.

The game was organised by Andrew Scullion for Help for Heroes, which raises money to support members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded serving their country.

More than one million people have donated money to the campaign.

Mr Scullion, who has organised similar charity games for the past decade, is an exserviceman with the Royal Military Police.

Earlier this season, the Quakers commemorated the Armed Forces at their game against Torquay United to also raise money for Help for Heroes, the official charity of the Football League.