Spurs legends Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane and Ledley King answer kitman’s call for charity match in Bishop’s Stortford
Spurs fans were in for treat on Sunday when a star-studded team of the club’s legends graced Bishop’s Stortford FC’s ground for a charity match.
The match against a celebrity invitation XI was organised by the Premier League side’s popular kitman Steve Dukes – and a remarkable array of talented “veterans”, managed by former manager Harry Redknapp, turned up, including recent retirees Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane, Aaron Lennon and Michael Dawson.
Fans favourite Ledley King also put his boots back on, along with full back Danny Rose, who is still playing and currently looking for a club.
They were joined by international legends Edgar Davids, Sandro, Heurelho Gomes, Pascal Chimbonda, Wilson Palacios, Younes Kaboul, Sebastien Bassong and Michel Vorm.
Steve Dukes began raising money for the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance after his father died when he was involved in an accident while on a cycle ride. He was 73.
Football.London Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and former Herts and Essex Observer journalist Alasdair Gold reported how Steve threw his energies into raising money for the air ambulance, and in 2021 an auction of signed shirts from all 92 of the clubs in the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) realised £47,000.
The following year, the kit man put together a huge 16-day charity auction of signed memorabilia with items from Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo just to name a few.
Then came the idea to create a fundraising match in his father's name, and on Sunday Alasdair reported his old friends turned out in force for him.
And with tickets selling out within 24 hours to fill the 3,500-capacity R & D Advisors UK stadium in Woodside, their sales, along with a shirt auction with the players who played, sponsorship in the programmes and the programme proceeds, Steve is hoping to take his running total to £150,000.
With the vast array of talent on show it was no surprise Spurs ran out 7-1 winners against Beowulf, Sexy Beast and Nil By Mouth actor Ray Winstone’s celebrity XI, with Defoe notching a hat-trick.
The opposition side contained a mix of TV celebrities including former Bishop’s Stortford player Mark Wright and freestyle footballer Billy Wingrove, reality stars, YouTubers, DJs, singers and ex-pros such as Yaya Toure – now an academy coach at Spurs – Wayne Routledge and Carlton Cole.
