Well (as expected ;) ) Robbie is in the starting line up for the big match tomorrow. He is playing at left back. He will have to stop Diego Maradona :lol: .

The show was funny tonight. :dance:

I missed it but have it recorded :dance:

have fun tomorow night with soccer aud everyone

 

gr. WH75

From the Guardian Unlimited

 

Charitable punters dig deep for stars to feel smug

 

Simon Burnton

Saturday May 27, 2006

The Guardian

 

 

Why is it that celebrities are so happy to raise money for good causes but infinitely less willing to hand any over themselves? Tonight at Old Trafford two teams of famous faces, plus someone called Alessandro Nivola, who must be good at football because he can't possibly qualify by any other means, will set out to prove their devotion to the children of the world by convincing other people to give them some cash.

 

 

So the famous people get to play a game of football with famous players at a famous venue in front of a bumper crowd while others with less money than themselves offer some of it to Unicef. Frankly it is an unusual definition of charity. And the canny celebrities know that, once the game is over, they are but a couple of telethons and one humiliating-but-hilarious novelty song on Comic Relief away from an MBE for services to showy and extremely public displays of generosity.

Admittedly the celebrities must give up their time, which in the case of Alessandro Nivola might not be such a problem but for Robbie Williams or Gordon Ramsay might represent something of a hardship. The footballers, who have probably played in similar venues and more prestigious matches, have little obvious motivation other than altruism, which must be something of a novelty for them. But most of us would be far more impressed if they were all to join the public in flexing their chequebooks rather than their withering musculatures.

 

Jade Goody's marathon attempt represented something of a low point in celebrity charitable athletic endeavours, one that in a more rational world might even have ended the distressing pastime forever. Yet, despite not finishing the course or doing any training, she managed to raise some money. You might think she could have done that just as well without debasing a marvellous occasion with her lacklustre efforts and slack-jawed smile, though as she explained this week rather endearingly: "I do my charity work to erase wareness." Which you must admit she does rather well.

 

People, Goody excepted, generally become famous for their excellence in a particular field - something like singing, acting or having extremely large breasts. But away from their chosen speciality celebrities sag quicker than a menopausal glamour model.

 

Versatility might have got Owen Hargreaves into a couple of World Cup squads but it is a commodity that we don't often actually need. Fundraising is something that, as the London Marathon proves, the British people do exceptionally well even without the aid of celebrities. Singing, as countless karaoke evenings across the land prove, is not. Every moment Robbie Williams spends on the Old Trafford pitch is a moment which he might have better spent performing, though I know people who would disagree with that.

 

It seems uncharitable to criticise people for fundraising but surely we must refine our definition of the term. Madonna spends part of each show on her new tour suspended from a giant disco-effect crucifix and has attempted to calm the resulting storm of predictable religious outrage by explaining that she is simply encouraging audience members to give money to Aids charities.

 

As the ageing popstrel has clearly worked out, if you're doing something for charity you are morally exempt from criticism. But as she charges up to £160 per ticket it seems unlikely that many of her fans will have much money left to waste on frivolous activities such as alleviating the suffering of millions of less fortunate souls around the world.

 

Inevitably there is some self-interest behind my plea for singers not to stray into the world of sport for, if they do, it can be only a matter of time before a kind of reverse osmosis pushes sportsmen into singing. After a brief and miserable dalliance between music and sport several years ago we have come to accept that sportsmen and microphones should mix only in post-match interviews. For the sake of the nation's sanity, that is how it must stay. Williams once named an album after a football chant, Sing When You're Winning. As far as I'm concerned, we'll win only when he's singing.

 

sport.stuff@guardian.co.uk

 

 

What a horrible, nasty article. :angry: The author has no idea how much (or little) any particular celebrity gives to charity. Wonder what he himself has done with his life to help the underpriviledged of the world? Sod all I'll wager.......

 

Not a nice man. :angry: :angry:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Countdown to Soccer Aid

Adam Moss

 

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e272/handsomeman/a1d2ef4b.jpg

 

 

TEAM CAPTAINS: Gordon Ramsay and Robbie Williams SECURITY surrounding the weekend's huge charity Soccer Aid match in Manchester will be unprecedented.

 

A formidable ring of steel will follow the stars of Saturday's celebrity football match - both at the Lowry Hotel in Salford, where they are all staying, and at Old Trafford, where the match is being played in front of a sell-out 75,000 crowd.

 

So expect assorted man-mountains and a variety of heavy-looking entourages to be patrolling around the streets later tonight when the celebrities fly into Manchester from their rendezvous with Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street.

 

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At the head of the pack is captain of the England team, Robbie Williams, whose superstar status commands him the ultimate in protection.

 

The rest of the world team have their own megastar in the team, too - Argentinian Diego Maradona.

 

The World Cup winning ex-footballer arrives to lend his legendary skills (but hopefully not his Hand of God) to proceedings this evening.

 

Living legend

 

In his home country, where he is considered a living legend, he's always followed by a large entourage of minders, who'll no doubt be flexing their muscles over here, too.

 

A spokesman for the event, broadcast live on ITV1 at 7pm tomorrow, tells me the ring of steel is necessary because of the "players" involved in the game on both sides - including TV celebs and stars from other sports.

 

He says: "There will be very high visible security for the event both at the Lowry and the ground because of the calibre of the stars involved in the game.

 

"We can't really discuss our security arrangements for obvious reasons but, it is going to be tight."

 

Tickets are sold out for the match. Please call the Man Utd Box Office: 0870 442 1999 or click here to check for returns.

 

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y95/bry04/radiotimes.jpg

I hope all of you lucky people going to soccer aid have a brilliant time. Dont forget girls...we want Robbie details.......... and piccies.

 

Did anyone think Robbie looked very brown again last night on tv.

 

Looks like he has been at that spray tan again :D

 

He did look gorgous in that suit :wub:

Edited May 27, 200619 yr by sparkle

Yes Sparkle. He was very brown again (verging on the orange in fact :lol: ). And I thought Jonathan looked a similar unnatural shade.

Think the boys have been sharing a can of spray tan. :P

 

God only knows what colour they'll be by kick-off tonight. :o I may need to adjust the brightness control on my telly. :rolleyes:

Twinkle honey, it's soon going to be Soccer Aid time.

Unless wh75 or Nicole come on-line I fear you are going to be 'Home Alone' for a good part of the night. :cry:

 

You could of course post endlessly and try and get us to 10,000 before we all return about 10pm. :lol:

ICR is there and she promised to send me a picture :dance:

So....I guess I will just wait for that :P

 

 

Have fun watching :heart:

 

 

:cheer: it's on now guys!

I feel sooooooooooooooooo sorry for myself now :cry: :cry: :cry:

 

 

*Send someone to love me, I need to rest in arms....*

 

:o does anyone think that foxy looks alot younger?

:( He does?????

wooops i dont think it's foxy :P just someone who looks like him :P

Oh good... must be someone younger :P ;)

 

*Off to google Foxy*

:o :blush: :blush: :blush:

I've just got a message from ICR and a pic of Bry waving :dance: :dance:

It was brilliant to say the least

 

Great saturday nights viewing :dance: