United Trust Event Report
A full house in the Shepherd’s Inn ensured a bumper fund raising night for the United Trust as the club celebrated its centenary with the help of special guests Franco Baresi, Bryan Robson and comedian Brendan Healy.
After a four-course meal, the 300-plus audience settled down to a question and answer session with Italian footballing legend Baresi, who won six Italian League titles and three European Champions Cup while with AC Milan, for whom he played over 700 first team games. With the help of an interpreter, the man who played in three World Cup tournaments for the Italian national team answered the questions of the assembled supporters. He named Diego Maradona as the finest player he had ever come up against, a brave decision in a room full (mainly) of Englishmen (and women)!
Ex-Manchester United and England captain Robson was next on the podium. Bryan had made a special effort to get up for the event, despite taking charge of West Brom for the first time just hours earlier. He recalled the wilder days of Paul Gascoigne and had some funny stories about Alex Ferguson to share before wishing United all the best for the rest of this season.
An auction of various football-related items then followed. Star bid was one of £5,000 from Brooks Mileson to purchase Franco’s famed Milan No.6 shirt that he wore at his testimonial match.
Brendan Healy topped things off when he took to the stage to do his much admired stand-up routine. While some of his jokes were a bit blue and un-PC, he had the entire room in stitches and rounded things off nicely for the evening.
It was a great night for the Trust, who raised substantial amounts thanks to the generosity of guests, who bought raffle tickets, Blues Lotto tickets, purchased autographed footballs, made donations to the ‘£350 for United’ appeal and signed the Centenary Boards for £1 on the way in.
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