Football match to raise funds for a number of Black Country charities

The football match on September 1 will see a team from pregnancy loss charity Sands take on Buskin' for Charity, a group which which raises thousands of pounds each year for charities across the Black Country.

Taking place at Tividale Football Club, the game will aim to raise funds for Sands, Black Country Mental Health and a number of other charities, with the day also including musical entertainment in the club house following the game.

Brian Dakin, who performs as Billy Spakemon on Black Country Radio and as part of the Buskin’ for Charity group, said the group had wanted to try a few new things to raise funds alongside busking in hospitals and organising music events.

He said: "We decided after doing an event in Rowley and after talking to Andy Smith at the Crafty Jar that we might try and put on a football match.

"Sands, who are one of our charities, have got their own football team as part of the therapy they provide and we got talking to them about a possible match and they liked the idea.

"We then looked around for a proper pitch to play on and while a number of places didn't want to know, Tividale said yes and have been just brilliant, offering us the pitch on September 1 before a kids match, so we''ll play the game and then have some entertainment afterwards."

Mr Dakin said he had warned Sands that it wouldn't be a conventional match as the Buskin' team would have as many as 26 players available, but said that it was all a bit of fun and a great way to raise so much needed funds for charity.

He said: "Let me put it this way, it'll be a bit different to what you normally expect from a football match.

"It's really nice to be able to organize this as it broadens our scope out of just playing music and, hopefully, people will come down, watch the match and have a laugh doing so."

The match kicks off on September 1 at 2pm at Tividale Football Club on Packwood Road, with tickets costing £5 each and under 16s entering for free.

To find out more, go to blackcountryradio.co.uk/local/calendar/category/busking-for-charity