Steve Harper always believed in the importance of footballers staying in touch with reality.
Mostdo, of course except their reality is having a few million in the bank,five sports cars and a mansion that looks like a Tudor Castle.
Theformer Newcastle United goalkeeper was back at St James’ Park for thefirst time yesterday to launch his Charity Match against an AC Milanteam full of names so famous, that it’s actually against the law not todescribe it as “star-studded.”Harper is giving all the moneyraised to various local charities. Not because he wants everyone to sayhe’s a good guy, but because it’s the right thing to do.
And he’sdoing it because he’s one of us. Harper said: “It’s important that weremember that football - certainly where I’m from - is a working-classgame and that it stays in touch with that reality.
“People have torecognise the relationship players and clubs have with fans. That hasto be embraced. Staging an event like this certainly gives me anopportunity to give something back.
“This region is where I’mfrom, it’s my home and it’s been very good to me for 20 years, so it wasgreat when the fans group and Steve Harmison wrote to the clubsuggesting this.
“It’s very important that players and footballclubs do stay in touch with their fan-base. Football can be seen to bedrifting away from people a little bit, but without those peoplewatching the game, there is no game.
”Depending on the uptake, Iam hoping certainly 85 per cent of the money will go to the Great NorthChildren’s Hospital, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the NewcastleUnited Foundation, and I have earmarked that last 15 per cent to makesome donations to some smaller charities in the region, where it willmake a real difference.”
Harper is genuinely humbled and not a little chuffed by the side AC Milan are sending to St James’ Park.
Hesaid: “That Milan team, I think, won Serie A three times in four yearsand won the Champions League three times in six or seven years as well -that was a great, great team and is still very, very competitive.
“This isn’t going to be a walk-about, slow game when Milan have got the ball, I know that.
“I’mhumbled that the likes of Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini are going tocome to recognise my time here along with Alessandro Costacurta andAndriy Shevchenko.“They have never played one of these games in England, so it’s a great opportunity for them to play at this incredible stadium.
“Butit’s not just the Milan team - it’s been a privilege to spend 20 yearshere and to share the same dressing room as the likes of
Alan Shearer,Rob Lee, Peter Beardsley, David Ginola, Tino Asprilla and Andy Cole,.“It’sincredible, so to see them all in a black-and-white shirt again againsta very, very impressive AC Milan team will hopefully be a very specialnight.”
Harper is of course now at Hull City, which he isenjoying. But while he’s left Newcastle after two decades in body, hehasn’t really left, if you know what I mean.
He said: “I am a Newcastle fan and the same as everybody else, I keep an eye on what’s happening at the club.
“Thereseem to be some positive noises about players coming in now. The likesof maybe Loic Remy coming on loan would be a very good signing.”
Hulland Newcastle meet on September 21 in the Premier League, meaningHarper will revert back to being a Newcastle player and then before heknows it, and for the first time in his career, he will want United tolose.
He admitted: “It’s going to be a strange ten days. It wouldbe great to see a lot of people here on September 11, and it will be avery special night, hopefully, with a good crowd in.
“Then 10 dayslater if I run out in a Hull City shirt, once that whistle blows I’llget slaughtered every time I touch the ball, no doubt. But I wouldn’texpect anything less.”
Actually, it’s a fair assumption that won’t happen.
NEWCASTLEUnited XI v AC Milan Glorie is on September 11, tickets from nufc.co.ukor box office, price £10 and £5. Tickets go on sale on Friday.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steve-harper-humbled-milan-charity-5387237
