Charity football match raises thousands for Middlesbrough police officers killed in A66 tragedy

Charity football match raises thousands for Middlesbrough police officers killed in A66 tragedy

A football match hosted in memory of two police officers killed in a Middlesborough car crash has raised thousands of pounds for charity. PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, tragically died in the line of duty when a Volkswagen Passat travelling the wrong way down the A66 hit their marked police car in August, which also resulted in the deaths of the five young men in the car. In honour of the fallen officers, EFL Championship side Middlesbrough hosted around 1,000 staff from Cleveland Police and their loved ones at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday, November 8, for the inaugural Blades and Clough Cup. The teams, Matrix XI and Cleveland Police Veterans FC, walked out with mascots from FC Hartlepool's under-10s, which is a team PC Blades used to coach. Each player walked out with mascots from FC Blades U10s and Seaton Carew Lions U10s. Before kick-off, the teams laid a wreath on the pitch as the stadium stood and remembered the pair before a minute’s applause. Both teams were supported by club legends, with Craig Hignett leading the Veterans team and Dimi Konstantopoulos managing Matrix. The former Boro stars were on hand for tactical guidance, motivational speeches and to sub off some very tired legs. Two special substitutions were made during the match as the sons of PC Blades entered the field to resounding applause from both teams and supporters. They quickly had an impact on the game, adding their names to the scoresheet with a confident penalty kick and a remarkable run from PC Blade's youngest son, who weaved his way through defenders before scoring. The game was played under the watchful eye of former Premier League referee David Webb and assistants Gary Hart and Adam Herczeg, and the match raised £8,400 for charity. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The final score was 5-2 to the Cleveland Police Veterans FC and Superintendent Daryll Tomlinson, of Cleveland Police, who organised the match, said: “The Blades and Clough Cup was about rememberi