Carl Ikeme: Wolves fans to honour star with 24-hour penalty shoot out
A 24-hour penalty shoot-out will take place at Molineux to raise money for charity after Wolves player Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with leukaemia.
The goalkeeper found out he had the disease earlier this month and is undergoing treatment.
Tributes have poured in from across the footballing world for the 31-year-old – and now the footballing challenge is set to take place in the lead up to Wolves’ first home game of the season against Middlesbrough on August 5.
The shoot-out will start at 10am on August 4 and continue until 10am the next day.
Organised by the club and fan Steve Plant – who is known for his sell-out book They Wore The Shirt – the event will raise money for the Cure Leukaemia charity.
Mr Plant, aged 56, from Wordsley, said: “On a personal level I got to know Carl really well when I was putting the book together.
“He was one of the first to have a copy and I’ve got to know him. That’s why it hit me so hard. He’d become a friend rather than a player. That was why I wanted to get involved.
“When the fans started saying is there something we can do that’s when it all started. I was approached by fans on Twitter who wanted to do something and so emailed the club.
“I went in the next day and we picked the best ideas and that’s where it came from. Within an hour it had gone from the shock of it to doing something about it.”
Wolves legend Steve Bull will kick-start the event before fans are invited to try their luck at a penalty at £5 for three shots.
A ‘top bins’ challenge – like the one on TV show Soccer AM – will give fans the chance to take a penalty at a future game.
Anyone wanting to take part will be asked to text CARL24 £5 to 70070, with the money going straight to the charity. Participants will receive a text message back, which they will the have to show on arrival at Molineux.
The penalty challenge will take place at Wolfie’s Den inside the Stan Cullis stand. Children are welcome to attend and take penalties as long as they’re accompanied by an adult.
Meanwhile, a family fun day will be held on September 2, from noon until 2pm. It will take place in the Stan Cullis’ WV1 Bar – with Wolves players from the 70s to present day in attendance, including the likes of Kenny Hibbitt, John Richards and Phil Parkes.
To keep up to date with details follow Steve Plant on Twitter at @wolvesmatchworn
