LEGENDS TO LINE OUT FOR NORTH END’S 50TH
HOLLYGROVE, home of North End United, will host some of the biggest names ever to pull on the green jersey of Ireland in celebration of the club’s 50th anniversary on the August bank holiday weekend.
Over five decades, the club has enjoyed considerable success and has become a vital part of the local sporting community. To mark the milestone, the Sky Blues are to host a special legends game which will see some big names in the history of the Wexford club face off against some of the biggest names in Irish football.
Among those confirmed to take part already are Liverpool and Ireland legends Ronnie Whelan and Ray Houghton, Tony Cascarino, Everton legend Kevin Sheedy, Mark Kinsella, Stephen Hunt and many more. North End legend Gary Dempsey, who enjoyed a successful career himself lining out for the likes of Dunfermline and Aberdeen in the SPL, will be among the local legends pulling on a sky blue shirt again.
‘It’s going to be great craic,’ he said. ‘Basically, it’ll be three matches of half an hour. We’ll have North Enders from every era and they’ll be going up against the legends. I’ve been involved in a few of these things before and the legends won’t be flying around the pitch at this stage, but it’s going to be great fun. How often would you get the chance to see some of these lads playing together again?’
The line-up of the legends team is not yet complete either and Gary has reached out to the likes of Steve Staunton, Jason McAteer, Kevin Doyle and Paul McGrath to come along on the day as well.
The match is the centrepiece of a weekend long celebration for the club. It begins with a golf classic at Wexford Golf Club on Friday, July 31.
This will be followed by a huge family fun day at Hollygrove on Saturday, August 1, with bouncy castles, obstacle courses and a whole heap of other fun.
On the Sunday, the legends game kicks off at 3 p.m. Afterwards, the legends will head for Clayton Whites Hotel for a dinner dance and Q&A session.
As well as marking the milestone of 50 years, the weekend will also serve as a fundraiser for the club, with resurfacing the car park being at the top of the ‘to do list’.
Tickets are expected to go on sale this week and for more details you can keep an eye on the North End 50th Anniversary Facebook page.