Held at Johnstone Burgh in aid of St Vincent’s Hospice, organisers, footballers and sponsors who were involved raised an incredible £5,000 for the hospice.

Almost 400 people attended the football event in support of the hospice which provides specialist palliative care to those living with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Kevin McLaughlin, who organised the event alongside William Milroy, Pamela McLintock and Our Toon Johnstone Facebook page owner Lainey Begley, issued a heartfelt thank you to the entire community for their support in making the event a success.

He said: “It looks very much like we are on the 5K mark for Saturday’s charity match for St Vincent’s Hospice. I feel very privileged to have been part of something so special and I would like to make a few personal thank you’s on here.

“First off — congratulations to the Rangers side who won 3-2. Well done lads.

“Another goes to Johnstone Burgh for giving us their facilities to host the event. To the match sponsors, The Thorn Inn who supported us enormously and threw a great party for us last night, and Bella Fresca who sponsored the man of the match.

“To my good old opponent William Milroy for his work alongside me in setting up the game and putting everything together. The constant texts, emails, calls - we lived in each others pockets in the ten week build up and the banter and wind ups were first class from both ends “Finally I would like to add from my end that I don’t recall anything that has given me so much pleasure and excitement. It seems we have doubled what we raised last year already so who knows where all this could take us in the future.

“It’s a great learning process which I would love to be part of again and already we are talking about next year.

“It’s fair to say I have ‘lived the dream’ being involved with the whole thing.” To donate and help them raise more cash for the Howwood hospice, visit www.justgiving.com/William-Milroy2/