FAMOUS football stars were out in force for a popular annual sports event.

Growers United FC with the support of Wychavon District Council, and hosted at Evesham United FC’s ground, helped raise funds for charity.

Throughout the day, hundreds of local football fans continued to pour into the stadium to support their local teams and saw a Show Racism the Red Card XI including Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy and former England player Trevor Sinclair.

More than £100,000 has already been raised for the Growers United FC charities over the years including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Cancer Research UK and Once Upon A Smile.

Over the Saturday and Sunday fans were treated to a nine-a-side football tournament that brought 24 teams to Evesham, most of them local but others form as far afield as Lincolnshire, Lancashire and Dorset, to battle it out for the Confederation Cup 2017.

The eventual winners were R and L Holt from Offenham, who beat local rivals Sandfields Farm who themselves had been the winners of the competition for the last three years.

Following the tournament final on Sunday afternoon, a combined Growers United team played against a Show Racism the Red Card XI that included Kennedy and Sinclair as well as Mark Walters, Ritchie Humphreys, Terry Angus, Gary Bennett and others.

The Growers United FC team did well to get a 2 -2 draw, but lost on penalties.

Bal Padda of Vicarage Nurseries, who has been the driving force behind Growers United, said: “We started Growers United FC in 2012, with the key aims being community cohesion and to combat all forms of racism, xenophobia and prejudice. Since last year’s referendum, this has become increasingly high on our agenda.

"The match against the Show Racism the Red Card Legends aimed to unite our community through football, food and a dance or two.

“Migrant workers are a big part of the farming and local community and whatever we can do to bring people together has to be good.

"We won't let hate be part our community and our football tournament is our way of being proactive in our approach to this issue whilst also raising funds for our chosen charities.

I would like to thank all the legends for playing, and for making the day so memorable for those who attended.”

Wychavon District Council Chairman, Councillor Liz Eyre, who presented trophies at the end of the tournament, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed the event and fully support the values and aims of Growers United.

"Challenging prejudice and racism by bringing people together to compete in sport is simple and very effective. It was humbling to see so many different nationalities all involved in a common goal.”