Sell-out crowd for latest charity game in memory of Lee Rigby

A sell-out crowd will be in attendance at AFC Portchester on Friday for a memorial match in memory of murdered soldier Lee Rigby.

Several star-studded names with Pompey and Rangers connections from the past will take part in the Lee Rigby Memorial Cup fixture.

Yakubu, Pedro Mendes, Matt Taylor, Sean Davis, goalkeeping legend Alan Knight,

Lee Bradbury, Darren Anderton and Paul Walsh are all part of the Pompey squad for the day, which will help raise funds for the Lee Rigby Foundation.

Some of those names boosted their match fitness by turning out for an exPompey XI at Godalming last Sunday.

The ex-Rangers contingent, who are to be managed former England, Gers and

Pompey man Mark Hateley, includes Nacho Novo, Marvin Andrews, Keith Gillespie, Clint Hill and Mark Walters.

Organiser Gary Nicholl, an avid Rangers supporter, first started the Lee Rigby Memorial Cup match in 2017 after approaching AFC Portchester and Lee's family about setting up an annual match for his chosen charity.

This will be the third staging with previous planned matches for the past three years scuppered because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Nicholl, 47, said: ‘It means a lot (growth of Memorial Cup match). There's a charity that's going to benefit from it (Lee Rigby Foundation) and has done over the years.

‘The family (Lee's) come down for the games and they'll be down here on Friday.

‘What they're doing now, every penny counts for them, for veterans and soldiers who have been injured.

‘There's going to be a lot of people there who brought tickets for the 2020 game (called off because of the pandemic). At night time there's a Q & A with Hateley (Mark), Pedro Mendes and Keith Gillespie.’

Lee's mother, Lyn, his stepfather and two sisters will all be in attendance at AFC Portchester for the memorial match. All proceeds after match-day expenses have been covered will go to the Lee Rigby Foundation.

Fusilier Lee was murdered by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale close to the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich in May 2013.