by holdthefrontpage staff
Editorial and advertising staff at the Wilts and Glos Standard joined forces to take on a mighty opponent - when they faced the local council in a charity football match.
The head-to-head was organised to raise cash for the newspaper's Tom Tooley campaign, which aims to help a schoolboy left paralysed after an operation on a brain tumour.
Staff from the Standard, together with a few guest players, managed an honourable 6-6 draw with the local authority at Cirencester Town FC's Corinium Stadium - and raised a welcome £350.
And it may be a cliche, but this was a real "game of two halves".
The council in their replica Brazil strip, the Standard in Cirencester Town's familiar black and red, the newspaper team stormed to a 4-0 half-time lead.
Then the tables turned - the local authority brought on a side made up largely of staff from Cotswold Leisure Centre, whose youth and fitness put even more of a strain on the aged Standard legs.
The district council's Andy Hughes
challenges for the ball. Pic: Richard Pasco The 'Paper Boys' responded with several junior substitutions, including an eight-year-old midfield anchor man and the legendary crusader Zorro.
But Cotswold District Council stormed into a 6-5 lead only for referee Paul Barry and commentator John Henry to fix the game with a dubious - but well deserved - penalty, from which the Standard equalised.
After the game chief reporter Paul Bull said: "There were so many reporters playing, we had to draft someone else in from out of the area just to do the match report. There's been a real buzz about this match for several weeks. It's a great cause.
"It was a great laugh and we were all there for Tom so everyone was a winner at the end of the day."
Standard editor Peter Davison said: "We would like to thank Cirencenter District Council, Cirencester Town Football Club, everyone who donated raffle prizes and all those who turned out to support the event."
Readers have raised £5,500 after an appeal in the Standard to support Tom's Friends.
Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk
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