A number of former Dundalk FC stars will lace up their boots again for a charity match between the Louth Legends and Liverpool Legends at Oriel Park on Saturday afternoon at 3pm.
The game, and post-match reception in the Carrickdale Hotel afterwards, has been organised by local couple Gerry O’Connor and Nicole McGrane, along with their friend Eamon O’Hagan, to raise funds for two local Louth services linked with autism, Realt Na Mara Early Intervention Unit and Autism Centre and the Maria Goretti Foundation.
Brian Gartland, David Crawley and Martin Lawlor, three Dundalk FC legends, will all take to the field at Oriel Park once again, joining a host of well-known and much-loved names from the past.
1995 title-winning captain James Coll and his former teammates Peter Withnell and Mick Doohan have been confirmed, alongside 2004 Dundalk FC Player of the Year Trevor Vaughan and Darren Meenan, who was part of Stephen Kenny’s three-in-a-row winning squad between 2014-2016.
The Welsh Wall, Steve Williams, will take his place between the posts while the Louth Legends team will be managed by Darius Kierans, who guided Dundalk to their Premier Division safety with a playoff win over Waterford in 2012, and Lilywhites legend Tom McNulty.
Liverpool fans will also get the opportunity to see some of their heroes of yesteryear in action with former Republic of Ireland internationals John Aldridge and Ray Houghton set for a return to Oriel Park alongside David James, Jermaine Pennant, Mark Wright, Steve McMahon, Alan Kennedy and Jerzy Dudek.
The winning trophy will be dedicated to Calvin Curley Gray, who died in September 2022 following a tragic accident.
Tickets, priced at €15, are now available for the game from Eventbrite.com while a limited number of tickets for the post-match reception in the Carrickdale Hotel, priced at €75, are available from the Liverpool Legends vs Louth Legends XI Football Charity Match Facebook Page.
