Rochdale legend Joe Thompson makes triumphant return to hometown club with fellow footballer and cancer survivor
manchestereveningnews.co.ukInspirational footballers returned to their former club after beating cancer to help others. Rochdale legend Joe Thompson was joined by former Dale youth player Bader Al-Akkad at Spotland for the Goals for A Cure match.
The Joe Thompson XL vs All Stars X1 powerhouse showdown on Bank Holiday Monday was a celebration of Rochdale's football heritage.
Joe was back on the pitch as captain, led by former Rochdale manager Keith Hill. He was joined by Bader, who like Joe has just beat Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, and is aiming to give back to fellow cancer patients.
Among the footballing stars taking part in the match at the the Crown Oil Arena, which ended with a 2-1 victory to the All Stars X1, were former Manchester City player Joleon Lescott, Frank Sinclair, Aaron Burns, Danny Webber, Fraizer Campbell, Tom Thorpe, Charlie Morley, Dale Stephens, Jim McNulty, Nedum Onuoha and Adam Thompson. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community The game, attended by more than 800 people, raised funds for The Christie cancer centre and Souriyat Across Borders, founded in 2012 by five Syrian women as an emergency response to the humanitarian crisis to meet the needs of Syrian refugees.
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