North East legends teed up for charity golf event

Football legends from the North East’s ‘Big Three’ clubs are preparing to do battle in a Ryder Cup-style golf competition next week to celebrate 30 years of a leading anti-racism charity.

And the likes of former Sunderland boss Peter Reid, ex-Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton and Middlesbrough’s former assistant manager Viv Anderson will also help sell off rare football shirts and memorabilia to raise funds at the Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) golf day and dinner in Durham next month.

Show Racism the Red Card is hosting its 30th anniversary golf at the Ramside Hall Hotel and Golf Club near Durham on Monday, August 10 and will welcome some of the ex-players and managers who helped launch the campaign in 1996.

Popular ex-England international and Mackem manager Reid will captain the Black Cats team, while the former Newcastle boss and Ireland defender Chris Hughton will take charge of the Geordie team. 

Anderson, one of England’s first black players, who was Number Two to Bryan Robson at Middlesbrough in the late ‘90s, will lead the Teesside representatives. 

Former players from the North East’s three biggest clubs will also feature. Sunderland will be represented by Kevin Phillips and Gary Bennett MBE, alongside Bennett’s BBC Radio Newcastle colleague John Anderson. Former Newcastle United players Dwight Gayle, Steve Howey, John Beresford, Peter Beardsley and Shola Ameobi will line up with Newcastle United Women players Lois Joel, Emma Kelly, Jemma Purfield, Emilia Larson and Beth Lumsden, while the Boro will be represented by Dean Gordon, Craig Hignett, Gary Pallister and Brian Deane.

After the golf tournament on the Ramside’s championship course, a collection of signed, framed football shirts and memorabilia will be auctioned at the evening dinner.

Online bidding has already started for the lots which includes a framed England shirt with multiple signatures including Sir Bobby Robson, Paul Gascoigne, Martin Peters, Gordon Banks, Alan Shearer, Peter Shilton, Malcolm Macdonald, Stuart Pearce and Steven Gerrard. A Pele shirt and a rare framed team photograph of Newcastle’s 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winning team are also available.

Show Racism the Red Card was set up by Ged Grebby 30 years ago after he was approached by former Newcastle keeper Shaka Hislop, who was just establishing himself in Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers squad when he was racially abused by a group of youths at a petrol station opposite St James’s Park after a midweek game.

Hislop, who launched the campaign with Ged and team-mate John Beresford at a Newcastle school, has since become a leading advocate for anti-racism in football and continues to speak and meet youngsters at SRtRC events across the country.

Recently, thanks to funding from the PFA, FA and EFL, the charity launched a number of ‘First 11’ exhibitions to celebrate the first black players to represent clubs.

Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Brentford, Derby County, Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal, Liverpool and the England Lionesses and men’s team have all taken part in the exhibitions and Newcastle United hosted the project at St James’.

Details of the online auction can be found here.

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