Huddersfield Town fan and former Yorkshire County Cricket Club captain and head coach Andrew Gale is again taking part in the annual charity football game Match For Heroes 4.
Gale, 39, a passionate Huddersfield Town fan, is looking forward to playing alongside some of his Town heroes and says it is great to be involved in an event that raises funds for some amazing armed forces charities.
The fourth installment of the match will be held at Golcar United’s Skye Direct Stadium on April 23, the second year in succession it’s been at Golcar.
More than 1,200 attended the event last year and hopes are high for an even bigger crowd this time around.
On playing in the match Gale said: “Last year I played about 50 minutes and was shattered. I really enjoyed it, though. The atmosphere was great and it was for a good cause. It was a special event and one I was pleased to be involved with.”
Dewsbury-born Gale says he always wanted to be a footballer from a young age. He has supported Huddersfield Town all his life and even played a few academy games in his younger days.
He said: “I always wanted to be a footballer. Up until around the age of 14 I’d always played football but then cricket took over. I still played some football even when playing cricket in my late teens. You wouldn’t be able to do that now.
“I always wanted to play for Huddersfield Town. Ironically Andy Booth, who is a Town legend and a great bloke, always wanted to be a cricketer! He’s mad about it.
“To play alongside some of my heroes growing up is just great. I was there that day at Leeds Road at the last ever game when we played Blackpool.
“Phil Starbuck scored the last ever goal there and in a few months’ time I’ll be passing him the ball. It was great to share a dressing room with these legends last year and I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
So far over the last three events organisers have raised £34,000 for charity. The games take place in memory of Meltham soldier Tom Wroe and colleague Sgt Gareth Thursby who were killed on duty in Afghanistan in 2012.
Once again a team of Huddersfield Town legends and stars will take on a team from Golcar United. The Terriers will consist of familiar faces such as Matt Glennon, Chris Billy, Delroy Facey, Andy Holdsworth, Ian Lawson, Stephen Payne, Joe Skarz, Lee Duxbury, Mick Midwood and Mark Kelly.
The Town side will be managed by former Terriers commercial director Sean Jarvis. Also in the dug-out will be former Town striker Clyde Wijnhard, who has played in the last three years but has an Achilles injury and is sidelined. The game will be refereed by Premier League referee Bobby Madley.
Moving away from the match and onto what’s happening at Huddersfield Town, Gale believes the Terriers have enough to stay in the Sky Bet Championship.
He insists the squad is strong enough to move away from the drop zone and said: “Obviously it hasn’t been a good season. It has been disappointing. It didn’t help with Carlos Corberan leaving two weeks before the season starts, the club was in disarray and hasn’t ever quite recovered from that.
“Results have been poor but I do still think we have the players to turn it around if we can pick up some form.
“I’ve been in dressing rooms where I’ve won trophies and been in some where we’ve turned up to games thinking: ‘How the hell are we going to win this game?’ That’s especially so in T20 cricket where it is all about momentum.
“You need to get back to basics and remember what you did well when you were in good form. You have to get those clouds in your mind to clear and concentrate on what you need to do.
“You just need to block that noise out from the crowd and do what you do best, if that’s scoring goals then just make sure you put the ball in the net.
“As football fans we can think one dimensionally sometimes. We did get to the play-offs last season. I thought we’d finish mid-table this season but no way did I think we’d be in a relegation battle.”
On his favourite moments whilst supporting Town he reminisced: “I remember all the way back to the Autoglass Trophy days but nothing will beat watching Christopher Schindler’s penalty in 2017 at Wembley with my dad. Beating Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-final at Hillsborough on penalties after going 1-0 down was special too.”
Gale is currently taking some time out of cricket and has built his own joinery business called GAME Commercial Joinery.
He said: “I never thought I’d be owning my own joinery business but I’ve been doing it for the last year now and really enjoying it. I might one day get back into cricket but it’s not something I’m focused on at the minute.
“I do some cricket coaching with kids but that’s about it. I’ve no desire to get back into the game at this moment in time as I’m enjoying some time away from it.”
Despite taking time out from the sport, Gale is pleased to see it continue to thrive at local level.
“Cricket in Yorkshire will always be big and have lots of talent and that’s good for the game,” he said. “I hope that continues in the future too.
“You go around the grounds and there are still so many clubs. It’s great to see hundreds of kids on a field on a Friday night enjoying playing cricket. It’s brilliant to see.”
Tickets for the game are £5 each and are available HERE.
