Teamwork pays off for forces charity

Great Wakering Rovers are thought to have raised more than £1000 for Help for Heroes on Saturday when they teamed up with Ryman North rivals Needham Market in aid of the forces charity.

To raise funds for the charity for wounded servicemen and women, Rovers admitted fans for free to the 2-2 draw at Burroughs Park, instead asking the resultant record crowd for the season of 251 to make a donation to bucket collections during the game.

After asking their own fans to donate last Saturday when they hosted Chatham Town at Bloomfields, the proud Marketmen brought along a cheque for £130 to Essex to add to the Rovers kitty which was reported to have passed £900 at the weekend.

Needham Market president Keith Nunn, pictured handing over the cheque to Rovers chairman Tony Butcher and the Essex club's local MP James Duddridge, was delighted the decision to allow spectators in for free had the desired effect and that his own club had been able to contribute and boost the already good relations that exist between them.

Nunn said: "We have a great relationship with GWR and their chairman Tony Butcher and committee did a superb job organising the day. The fact that I was able to hand over a cheque for £130 from our ‘bucket collection’ at the Chatham game was greatly appreciated by Tony and is further illustration of our close association.

"I had a few words with [manager] Mark Morsley after the game as I felt conceding two second half goals was taking the charity initiative too far! But seriously, Needham Market is only too willing to support clubs in their efforts to show to everyone that local football has a lot to offer."

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