Legendary Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny is part of the Blades side that is facing Stocksbridge Park Steels legends in game to honour Allen Bethel at Bracken Moor on Sunday.
Former Bradford (Park Avenue) goalkeeper Kenny is part of a side assembled by ex-captain Chris Morgan who brought most of the 2006 promotion-winning squad back together for a one-off game.
Ian Bennett, Leigh Bromby, Rob Hulse, Michael Tonge, Michael Brown, Darius Henderson, Richard Cresswell, Derek Geary and Danny Webber are among many names set to play.
Current chairman Graham Furness has built the Stocksbridge side which includes Ian Richards, Darren Schofield, Wayne Biggins, Stefan Zoll, Mark Ward, Trevor Jones and Brett Lovell.
The match honours Bethel who stood down as Stocksbridge chairman after 30 years in the role.
The match will raise funds for the Blades nominated charities. Kick-off is 2pm and admission is £7 for adults. £3 concession and children (pay on the day). Car parking is £2.
His legacy is quite extraordinary and he certainly goes down as a pioneer of Non League football. He started Stocksbridge Juniors in 1982 with kids who lived on his street, having spotted that there was no football provision for juniors.
Four years later he realised Stocksbridge Works were folding which would “scupper” plans to grow the junior club. Oxley Park, who had three teams, were in a similar position so Mr Bethel’s own words: “I went and saw the Oxley Park chairman and agreed a merger in less than two hours to form Stocksbridge Park Steels.
Perhaps the biggest achievement has been the progression of number of players – most notably Jamie Vardy.
Vardy is not the only player who has gone onto higher climbs – Lee Mills (Wolves) Simon Marples (Doncaster Rovers) preceded him. Harrison Biggins was sold to Fleetwood Town in 2017.