Hayfield FC to clash with Stoke City players during charity football match in Buxton

Though details about who is playing are scarce so far top Stoke goal scorer Ricardo Fuller has been confirmed and there are rumours England striker Peter Crouch may make an appearance.

On the day Hayfield FC will be playing against Neil Baldwin FC - a Stoke-based team made up primarily of Keele University students.

The two teams will share five or six Stoke City pros - with Hayfield taking defenders and Neil Baldwin having the strikers.

The proceeds from the game will be divided between the two clubs.

Hayfield FC will use their share to renovate the pitches and build a clubhouse while Neil Baldwin FC’s portion will support homeless charity Macari.

Carl Dean, Hayfield FC chairman, said ‘there had been talk’ about Peter Crouch playing on the day but it was ‘not confirmed’ yet.

He said: “He (Peter Crouch) has played for them before - Kevin Keegan and Gary Lineker have both been presidents of the club.”

Speaking about the match itself he said: “It’s difficult to say who will win.

“Most of the Neil Baldwin players are university students and most of our players have just come up from the junior ranks.

“In terms of young men running around it should be a fairly even match - it should be a good game.

“Nobody wants to see one team beat the other 10-nil.”

Carl told how Hayfield FC had battled for ten years to buy the lease to their playing fields while building up 11 junior teams - from under-7s to under-16s.

The club now hope to have their pitches renovated before the 2020-2021 season.

However the clubhouse will cost £500,000 and though the team have support from Derbyshire FA, the Football Foundation and High Peak Borough Council they have to raise half the build cost - £250,000.

He said: “It’s taken us a long time to get where we are now - and we’re making progress.”

Sunday’s game kicks off at 2.30pm with gates and bar open from 1pm.

Tickets cost £3 for adults and £1 for under-16s.