FOOTBALL fans helped to raise at least £12,000 for Teesside Hospice in a charity football match at the Riverside Stadium alongside Boro legends Gaizka Mendieta and Craig Hignett.

Generous bidders paid up to £800 to take part in the 11-a-side game organised by local fundraisers in aid of the Middlesbrough-based hospice.

Hignett, the scorer of the Riverside's first ever goal back in 1995, hit the winner in a seven-goal thriller as a team sponsored by The Knights Club came back from 3-1 down at half-time to beat a side backed by Afforda Skip 4-3.

2004 Carling Cup winner Mendieta had earlier fired his side into a two-goal lead, while Martyn Lockey scored twice for The Knights in a match refereed by former World Cup official George Courtney.

The game's opening goal was scored by Boro fan Garry Wells, whose company, Wells Integrated Cabling Systems, generously sponsored the match.

The Jordan Dee Man of the Match was Knights goalkeeper Paul Rushton, who received a bottle of Moet et Chandon champagne.

The charity players were given the nearest possible experience to being a professional footballer, changing in the Riverside dressing rooms, have a pre-match teamtalk from player-managers Hignett and Mendieta, running onto the pitch to Boro's Pigbag theme tune and take part in the match alongside the midfield legends.

Teams and goalscorers were announced over the stadium PA system and electronic scoreboards, there were official team sheets and the players wore shirts sporting their names on the back.

All the kit and shirt printing was donated by Middlesbrough firm MSV Sport, leisurewear suppliers to football clubs including Boro, Valencia and Sevilla.

Spectators including friends and family of the charity players helped raise further funds, as did mascots and ball boys and girls who paid to be involved in the event.

All funds raised will go towards Teesside Hospice's annual running costs of £1.9m, of which only about a third is covered by the NHS.

The Teesside Hospice game was organised by a fundraising team comprising Dave Allan, Mike McGeary, Diane O'Connell and Fr Paul Farrer.

"We were blown away by the generosity of all the bidders and particularly to our sponsors," said Dave.

"So many people were also generous with their time in aid of a wonderful cause.

"All involved had a fantastic night with some great football played. We've already had calls for a return match next year so there may yet be a replay!"

Fans who took part in the game were:

The Knights Club: Paul Rushton, Dino Capaldi, John Flynn, Craig Smith, Scott Jackson, Joe Boyes, James Griffiths, Fr John Paul Leonard, Mark Hunt, Fr Paul Farrer, Chris Rigby, Billy Lees, Shab Mehdi, Alan Collett, Enrico Capaldi, Martyn Lockey and Mike McGeary.

Mascots: Georgina Atkinson, Andrew Green, Ben, Jack Lockey

Afforda Skip: Dan Ashenden, Gavin Bell, Terry Train, Andy Tate, Brian Corbett, Eddie Hynes, Ray Bangay, Steven Thomson, Tom Smith, Craig Wilkinson, Paul Tillotson, Denis Selma, Stephen Gibson, Garry Wells and David Gibson. 

Mascots: Grace Allan, Stephen Wise, Steven Vaughan, Daniel Wedlake

Ball boys/girls: Charlie Graham, Patrick Harrison, Cameron Hawksby, Owen Jones, Daniel Knaggs, Ashleigh Lofthouse, Kieran Lynch, Nathan Lynch, Ciara McGeary, Eve McGeary, Alex Marsden, Lauren Marshall, Megan Monks, Niamh O'Brien, Jack Proud, Charlie Raby, Josh Sowerby, Leo Spence, Ben Thompson, Ryan Wedlake, Demi White.