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Gaizka Mendieta to play in Sir Bobby Robson charity match

Mar 27 2011 by Andrew Glover, Sunday Sun

Gaizka Mendieta

NORTH football legend Gaizka Mendieta is donning his boots again – to join a fans’ charity footy match.

The ex-Spain, Barcelona and Middlesbrough ace was once the most expensive footballer in the world, costing Italian giants Lazio a whopping £29m.

Mendieta became a firm favourite with Boro fans, starring in a famous 4-1 victory over Manchester United, and to this day lives in Yarm on Teesside.

Now he is lining up alongside amateurs to raise cash for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Former England and Newcastle United boss Sir Bobby set up the cancer charity before he died from the disease in 2009.

The game, at Boro’s Riverside Stadium, will be the third Foundation fundraiser organised by Boro season ticket holder Andy Clark.

Before Sir Bobby died, Andy and friends from the Boro fanzine website Fly Me To The Moon played a game on a school pitch which raised £2,500 for the Foundation.

Andy and fanzine editor Rob Nichols met Sir Bobby afterwards with the Geordie legend keen to know how it went.

Andy said: “He was obviously suffering with his treatment but he was great and asked lots of questions about the game and the Boro. Sir Bobby was a great man, a national icon.”

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