Sheffield Wednesday teammates face off and Barry Bannan makes Sheffield return

Legends of clubs from all around Yorkshire will unite for charity this weekend, with two Sheffield Wednesday teammates facing off against each other.

On May 5^th, down at Club de Padel in Neepsend, a ‘Yorkshire Classico’ will take place as former players from Wednesday, Sheffield United, Leeds United, Doncaster Rovers, Rotherham United and Barnsley.

Barnsley lock horns to raise money for Weston Park Cancer Charity. The tournament has been set up by Owls coach, Pete Shuttleworth, in an attempt to raise vital funds for Weston Park Cancer Charity and their Rochelle Baxter Fund, which contributes to the Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Service.

Owls skipper, Liam Palmer, will co-captain the SWFC side alongside club legend, Barry Bannan, while Liam Cooper is their Leeds counterpart.

The likes of Marvin Johnson, Giles Coke, Aden Flint, Billy Sharpe, Brian Deane and David McGoldrick are amongst the other competitors, and ‘Palms’ says that he’s waiting to see how he matches up in comparison to the challengers from elsewhere.

“I’m still very much a padel beginner myself,” he told The Wednesday Word with a smile. “I think that’s why I’ve been given the captain’s mantle! The teams are in, so I’m looking forward to seeing how our side does. Marvin Johnson plays quite a bit, Aden Flint is coming as well - so it’ll be nice to see some old teammates.

“With all the charities around here it’s difficult to just hone in on one, but Weston Park do some fantastic work, and I’m happy to support Pete in his idea. It’s nice that the football community has come together, rivalries aside, to support this charity. I’m really looking forward to it.

“There’s quite a few people that I’m looking forward to seeing that’s not in such a pressured environment, so it’ll be nice to have a proper catch-up… I’m not sure if Baz is down to play or not yet, or if he’s first reserve, but he’s a bit of a sport billy - he’s good at golf, good at padel as well, so he’ll be itching to play. Lee Gregory is hoping to play as well, but he’s got a bit of a padel/tennis elbow at the moment.”

Palmer also heaped praise on the work done by Weston Park, saying that they relish the opportunity to give back to their community.

“Whenever you go up there and meet people that have used their services, you never know what to really expect. But spending time with patients and workers you get to see first hand what they do on a daily basis, so anything we can do as footballers with a platform to do good, even if it’s just sending a video message or having a coffee with somebody, we’re all keen to help and support. If we can make somebody’s day and put a smile on their face, we’re happy to do so.

Meanwhile, Cooper is hoping to get out on the court again once he’s recovered from his injury next month, admitting that he’s expecting it to get competitive even though it is all for a good cause.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he told TWW. “Pete Shuttleworth is heavily involved with his wife, and getting it out there - running the socials and stuff like that. As soon as Pete mentioned it I jumped at the chance. I don’t know as we speak now whether I’ll be able to play obviously with the injury, but hopefully I’ll be there and playing.

“I’ve got Brian Deane involved, as well as Seb Carole and Adam Forshaw who have all played for Leeds, so it’ll be interesting to get around everyone. I don’t know how my padel game is going to compare, I’ve not seen them play, but I was playing a lot in the off-season and when I wasn’t playing.

“The more fans we can get there, the better. Tickets have gone live and I know it’s going to be a great event. Obviously it’s going to be competitive, too, we’re all competitive animals. I’m sure there will be a few smashed bats, but it’s all for a good cause. Everyone’s really looking forward to it.

“We want to win!”

“Of course we want to win. I’ve been competitive since I was a kid, and I’m sure everyone else has too… We want to win, we want to get our ratings up. It’s all fun and it’s to raise money for charity, but I’m sure all the lads will be wanting to win every point.”

‘Coops’ also reiterated the importance of WP and their work, adding, “It’s all for a great cause, Weston Park do amazing things for people living with cancer and the aftercare as well. It’s something that’s very close to my heart, obviously - as with a lot of people - it’s a horrible disease that’s taken its toll on my family. It’s something I’m very proud to raise money for and be involved in.

“It’s so sad that in this day and age we can’t find a cure, but one day we’ll get there and hopefully that day isn’t too far away.”

The tournament takes place from 5pm until 8.30pm on May 5th at Club De Padel on Boyland Street, and you can get your tickets here. Watch the matches, support your team and meet the players. All money raised will go to the WPH Teenage Unit.