A FOOTBALL club celebrated its 50th anniversary yesterday by fielding a team against a line-up of former Forest players.
The match, Clifton All Whites vs Nottingham Forest Legends, attracted hundreds of spectators from all over the city.
Martyn Cheatle, Clifton All Whites' vice-chairman, hailed the charity match a success.
He said: "It has been a good turn-out. I think it was what we expected and the weather has helped.
"It is a privilege to have Forest legends here."
Held at the Norman Archer Memorial Ground, home to Clifton All Whites, the match saw the local team playing against the likes of Darren Huckerby, Michael Johnson and Neil Webb.
The final score was 4-1 to Clifton All Whites.
The club, which started life as the Thistledown Rovers in 1962, saw some of the original line-up turn out to support.
Michael Brown, 59, who used to play for the Rovers, said: "What a fantastic turn-out. It was brilliant having some of the Forest legends here."
The match got off to a good start with Robert Gill and Jordan Alls scoring the first two goals for Clifton All Whites.
Later in the match Robert Gill scored again, closely followed by team mate Alex Haughton.
But all was not lost for the former Forest players, with Darren Huckerby scoring with less than 15 minutes to go.
The match ended with a friendly penalty shoot-out between the two teams. As a part of the club's 50th anniversary celebrations, eight team members plus two supporters undertook a five-day charity bike ride from Paris to Notts.
Simon Morgan, 35, one of the supporters who motivated the team during the bike ride, said: "It went really well but it was tough. We have really bonded and I have made some friends for life.
"It was a really good match and the whole idea was for the community as well. It has been a family-friendly day."
David Hawkes, captain of Clifton All Whites, was one of the players on the field, despite having only got back from Paris yesterday.
He said: "I wouldn't have missed this match for the world. The ride was brilliant, hard but well worth it. Hopefully we have raised a lot of money for charity and for the club."
The club is hoping to save up for floodlights for the pitch, which will cost about £70,000.
Other money raised will be shared among several charities, including Education for Children and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Have you been involved in a fundraising initiative? Email us at newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk
