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CROWDS flocked to Haverhill Sports Centre on Sunday to see stars of sport and screen taking part in a celebrity football match to launch the new all weather pitch.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council's new leader Mike Brundle, officially opened the new £300,000 floodlit pitch before the celebrity game.
Players included former Blue Peter presenter John Leslie in goal, ex-Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley, Ally Begg from Bad Boys Inc, boxer Terry Marsh, ex-Arsenal stars George Armstrong, Paul Davis and Brian Hornsby, as well as former Spurs footballers Micky Hazard, Peter Taylor and Paul Allan.
Sports Centre manager Eric Armstrong estimated a crowd of around 1,200 people attended and expected the event to raise over £1,000 to be divided between LAMPH, the group for children and adults with disabilities, the Gateway Club and Suffolk Braves Wheelchair Sports Club.
In the Leisure Centre team, which won 4-2, were St Edmundsbury Director of Leisure Services Steve Palframan, Sports Centre staffman Tom Armstrong, playing against his father, Adam Haylock, former Haverhill Rovers Danny Green, Dave Meek and Neil Farlie, Rod Munro, Director of the new Haverhill Football Centre of Excellence and several Steeple Bumpstead players.
There was also a demonstration match from Haverhill Hockey Club and a schools seven-a-side tournament with a total of 14 teams taking part. In the First Schools section, Burton End beat Cavendish 7-6 in the final after a penalty shoot-out.
In the Middle Schools event Parkway Middle School beat Linton Village College 3-0 in the final. Winners and runners-up received medals presented by Coun Mike Ames.

Picture Caption: And here's a trick I learned earlier ... former Blue Peter presenter John Leslie clowns before taking part in a celebratory football game to mark the opening of Haverhill's new Astroturf pitch.