It was a moment football fans all around the country had waited forty years for. The England skipper, his face glowing with pride and delight, raises the World Cup over his head as thousands of supporters erupt in a frenzy of celebration.
The nation's footie fans will have to wait a few more weeks to see if David Beckham and his squad can do the nation proud, however, as it was Robbie Williams who was clutching the silverware on Saturday night. With a little help from former pros like Paul Gascoigne and David Seaman, the pop star managed to overcome the challenge of the "rest of the world" team and win the Soccer Aid charity match.
Over 70,000 supporters crammed into Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium to see the hotly-anticipated clash, which raised more than £6 million for Unicef. And those lucky enough to get a ticket for the fixture delighted in seeing the iconic Maradonna, who famously knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup by scoring a goal with his hand, return for a rematch with his old rivals.
Argentina's legendary striker didn't move with quite the same lighting speed he was once famous for, but that didn't stop him putting a penalty past England goalkeeper – and sometimes television presenter – Jamie Theakston. The efforts of former Rangers player Gordon Ramsey, who also counted Brazil's Dunga and France's Marcel Desailly among his teammates, weren't enough to stop the home side taking victory, though.
And in keeping with the character of top-flight football, the game wasn't without controversy. Rest of the world manager Ruud Gullit provoked a few raised eyebrows when he tried to start the second half with five former professionals on his team, breaking the agreed limit of four on each side. But it was Robbie's old friend Jonathan Wilkes who provided the most memorable moment of the match. The actor surprised fans and players alike when he beat several defenders to score a wonder goal Maradonna himself would have been proud of back in his heyday.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
