The Piebury Corner Arsenal and Piglets Pantry Brighton pies arrived at the ground nice and early and not long after the fans started arriving in numbers too. The Ascot United club house was open at 6pm and an hour and a half before kickoff, pies were being consumed and the beer was flowing.
Pie Munchers is action…mind your fingers boys!
Laura ‘Gooner’ Howard came all the way from Brooklyn New York with her David Rocastle banner signed by Thierry Henry and Charlie George. The local press arrived too as did trustees from The Pilion Trust and the Rocastle family, Janet David’s wife, Ryan his son and his daughter Monique. Rosie Winterburn from Piebury Corner arrived with The Piebury Corner Arsenal ‘ROCKY’ shirts, away yellow and all with Rocky and number 7 on the back.
Janet Rocastle and friends Neil and Will
The players were in the dressing rooms at 6.30 and team talks were underway by managers before Ryan Rocastle who was referee for the match went in to meet the teams. The auction area in the club house was all set up with some early bidding for most items, and at 7.25 the fans all left the club house to see the teams being led onto the pitch by the match officials. The two teams lined the centre of the pitch with the team captains holding the Rocky banner that came from New York. A minute’s applause in remembrance of David Rocastle was enthusiastically entered into by the whole crowd and the game then kicked off.
The two teams line up before kick off
Eagle eyed observers will see in the background the 7 furlong marker post on Ascot Racecourse, the number David Rocastle played in, didn’t notice that till now when publishing… Spooky !
Both teams were evenly balanced and some very good pass and move football led to chances for both teams. Several attacks opened up at both ends but defence and goalkeepers won the first half with the score 0-0.
In the second half more of the same with midfields cancelling each other out, but with a swift move from Gianluca Greenwood it was 1-0 to the Arsenal. It was destined to be 1-0 to the Arsenal or so it seemed until the last attack of the match saw Gianluca make it 2-0.
Goal scorer Gianluca Greenwood with Ryan Rocastle
The players came off the pitch at full time with both sides having played some great football warmly appreciated by the crowd throughout the game with generous applause.
Then into the clubhouse for everyone for the post match presentations and pie and chips for the players.
The first award, an Arsenal Nike Players Outer Top was presented to Laura Howard in recognition of her marathon trip from New York to be with us.
The second award was ‘Man of the Match, selected by a local football scout Steve Bull who chose Joe Grant one of the strikers for the Piebury Corner Arsenal ‘ROCKY’ 11, well done Joe.
Last and certainly not least Ryan Rocastle was presented with a framed collection of pictures of his father as a thank you for refereeing the match.
The auction went very well as did pie sales and a collection for The Pillion Trust, details below.
- Donated by Brighton and Hove Albion – Two match day hospitality tickets at the Amex raised £180.00
- Donated by Aston Villa – Two match day hospitality tickets in the SKY Lounge at Villa Park raised £200.00
- Donated by the Millennium Hotel Mayfair – Lunch/Dinner at the Avista restaurant in the Millennium Hotel Mayfair raised £100.00
- Donated by Hotel Pelirocco – A one night stay at the hotel for two people raised £120.00
- Donated by Pig in a Poke wines – Two cases of six bottles of Pig in a Poke wines raised £65.00
- An Arsenal fan though Piebury Corner donated £100.00 as a gift.
- Pie sales and a collection raised £240.77
A grand total of £1,005.77
The Football Pie League will be at the Arsenal Man City Game at Piebury Corner from 2pm, two hours before kickoff on Easter Sunday 8th April. If anyone coming to the game would like to meet us and make a donation we will have a bucket to drop donations into.
The Football Pie League would like to thank the following people who helped with Thursday’s game in alphabetical order so we show no favouritism just enormous gratitude
- Ascot News
- Ascot United FC
- Aston Villa FC
- Brighton and Hove Albion FC
- Cliff Roe Sports
- Hotel Pelirocco
- Mike Harrison
- Piebury Corner
- Pig in a Poke Wines
- Piglets Pantry
- Steve Brennan
- The Millennium Hotel – Avista Restaurant
- Vernon and the catering team at Ascot United FC
So in summary…A great game of football, loads of pies and beer consumed, £1,005.77 raised for a very worthy charity and David Rocastle remembered in a very appropriate manner.
One man more than any other helped this whole event come together, Steve Brennan who is pictured below with Ryan Rocastle, Thanks Steve!