Newcastle United Legends vs AC Milan Glorie

Two teams of forty somethings isn't something that would usually get the mouth watering, but when it's Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand lining up against Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini you know it's going to be special. Somehow, Steve Harper managed to gather a group of some of the all time greats, and have a football match in aid of charity.

Here's how Milan lined up: Rossi, Maldini, van Bommel, Costacurta, Baresi (c), Lentini, Di Canio, Favalli, Ganz, Pancaro, Oddo.

With Newcastle starting with:  Harper, Solano, Peacock, Dabizas, Beresford, Lee, Bowyer, Ginola, Fox, Ferdinand, Shearer.

There was far too many substitutions to keep track off, but the man of the night, Steve Harper was taken off 30 minutes in, in order to keep fit for his Premier League team Hull City.  Replaced by Newcastle United legend Shay Given.

Alan Shearer and Les Ferdinand weren't best served up top, and it looked like the old legs didn't have much left in them. However at the back, Dabizas still looked like he could do a job in the Premier League! AC Milan Glorie's best player was non-other than current Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio, and what a player he was. By far and away the man of the match, with hollywood passes and excellent runs into space. Not to mention the first penalty in the penalty shoot out.

Tino Asprilla had a goal chalked off for offside, and that was just about as close as either team got. Andy Cole hit the Gallowgate post and Taibi made a glorious save late on to keep it 0-0. The moment of the match, in my opinion had to be Gary Speed's two sons coming on in place of Kevin Nolan and Peter Beardsley to chants of 'one Gary Speed', a genuinely touching moment, which shows just how fantastic Newcastle United Football Club is.

Joey Barton made his first return to St James' Park since leaving on a free transfer and immediately showed why he's adored by sections of the SJP crowd, with a crunching tackle on Paolo Di Canio.

It was a great night for everyone involved and a game which will live long in the memory of the 50k crowd that attended. Although Milan snatched it 2-1 on penalties with Steve Harper missing his, the real winners were the charities which will have benefited greatly