MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Richard Torbay is gathering together a Northern Tablelands football team for a game against the Armidale and District Football Association (ADFA) President’s XI at the Rologas playing fields on Sunday, August 24.

The game will be the highlight of a day of football activities organized by ADFA to raise funds for the Oncology Unit at Armidale Hospital.

Mr Torbay’s team will include players from Walcha, Uralla, Guyra, Armidale and Glen Innes who will be going ‘head to head’ and ‘toe to toe’ with the 16 players selected to represent Graham Parsons’ President’s team.

“Both Mr Torbay and Mr Parsons are taking to the field as goalkeepers for their respective teams, and the duration of their stay on field is performance based,” said ADFA secretary Jean Bone, who is helping to coordinate the event.

The New England Credit Union (NECU) and White Bull Hotel have each donated $750 to kick off the fundraising and all players in the main game will be asked to find sponsorship support of at least $150 to help reach the target of $5000 to be raised on the day.

Sports Power Armidale and Struddy’s Sports will sponsor the players’ strips and Armidale City Signs and Armidale Retravision have also committed to support the oncology fundraiser.

The Team Torbay v President’s XI fixture at 2pm will be the highlight of the Festival of Football which will start at 10am with ADFA Women’s Football fixtures followed by an invitational game involving senior players from the Southern area of the association v the Northern area, a Father v Son’s game; and ADFA Coaches v ADFA Referees.

“It will be a fun day to help the hospital’s oncology unit to buy equipment it needs,” Mr Torbay said.

“The Football Association is aware of how cancer can strike anyone at any time and this appeal is being held in memory of ADFA’s former junior competition convener Jack Vallance who died of the disease last year.

“I hope the community will support this good cause and come to cheer on my team,” Mr Torbay said.

“Meantime I’m getting a lot of armchair coaching on my role as goalie.

“They tell me it’s not all that different to being a politician, just more physical.”