Footy4Harry

On Sunday 18th May, Help Harry Help Others and Sellebrity are bringing you an extravaganza for all the family at Birmingham City Football Club. It’s a chance to come along with all the kids for a great day out, and to help raise money for charity too!

The main event is a charity football match featuring stars from music, TV and sports. So far the list confirmed players looks like this:

Adam Woodyatt (Soapstar), Danny Dyer (Actor), Rough Copy (X-Factor), Abz (5ive), Jake Wood (Soapstar), Jamie Borthwick (Soapstar), Khali Best (Soapstar), David Witts (Soapstar), Dean Gaffney (Soapstar), Antony Costa (Blue), Jeff Brazier (TV presenter), Mario Falcone (TOWIE), Dan Osborne (TOWIE & Splash), Shayne Ward (Singer), Ollie Phelps (Actor - Harry Potter), James Phelps (Actor - Harry Potter), Nathan Cleverly (Boxer), Tubes (Soccer AM), Frankie Fryer (Soccer AM), Matt Lapinskas (Dancing on Ice/Soapstar) and Terry Alderton (Comedian/Soapstar).

Get your tickets here (£10 Adult, £1 Child, £30 Meet & Greet Adult, £5 Meet & Greet Child) https://www.eticketing.co.uk/bcfc/details/event.aspx?itemref=3503 or you can get tickets from Help Harry Help Other HQ, 197 Church Road, Yardley.

Keith Harris "very early days" on Villa sale

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Villa cops for £73m but THIRTEEN of our rivals receive more

Aston Villa are in receipt of nearly £73 million as Premier League earnings, but THIRTEEN other clubs received more. Here are the details as we tweeted them earlier today.

Villa receive £72,666,897 in Premier League earnings for 2013/14 (14th highest) #avfc Liverpool are the highest earners.
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) May 14, 2014

Villa were 7th= with Everton on payments for domestic TV appearances (Facility Fees) #avfc
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) May 14, 2014

Difference between success and failure in monetary terms is stark. Top earners Liverpool receive almost £25million more than #AVFC
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) May 14, 2014

Liverpool top the earnings table having appeared in 28 live TV games.
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) May 14, 2014

Helenius the latest to join the escape committee

Forgotten Danish striker Nicklas Helenius is the latest player to make clear his wishes to escape from Villa Park.

The lanky forward had failed to make any sort of impact at the Midlands club this season despite injuries to Libor Kozak and Christian Benteke. Despite being handed the iconic Number Nine Shirt at the start of the season, the player was overtaken in the pecking order by emerging starlet Callum Robinson and even lumbering hasbeen Grant Holt in Paul Lambert's pecking order.

Helenius representative Mads Bach Lund is quoted in Danish media as saying "We have evaluated the season and we've to say no indication of 1st team football ever arose.

"Helenius would like to return to the newly crowned Danish champions (AaB Aalborg). There hasn't been any official discussions yet"

The move comes on the heels  of Yacouba Sylla expressing his frustration at his lack of first team action and stating publicly that he'd like a loan move away from Villa Park.

Alan Hutton, Darren Bent and Shay Given are likely to leave in the summer while the club's owner Randy Lerner is plotting his own exit from the club.

Doug Ellis speaks

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Annual Beano to Walsall FC amongst pre-season fixtures

Christmas comes but once a year and so does a friendly match with Walsall.

The annual trip to Bescot has been confirmed Tuesday 5th August, with a 7.30 pm kick-off.

Villa pummeled the Saddlers 5-0 last summer with Fabian Delph, Gabby Agbonlahor, Christian Benteke, Jack Grealish and Gary Gardner all managing to hit the target.

  

The team are off to Texas for two games in July, then take on FC Groningen in Holland as part of the deal that brought Leandro Bacuna to Villa Park.

Villa have also confirmed away trips to Mansfield Town and Chesterfield as the pre-season schedule fills up.

Fixtures so far announced

• Mansfield Town on July 17th at Field Mill
• FC Dallas on July 23th at the Toyota Stadium
• Houston Dynamo on July 26th at the BBVA Compass Stadium
• Chesterfield on July 30th at Proact Stadium
• FC Groningen on August 2nd at Euroborg Stadium
• Walsall on August 5th at Banks's Stadium
• As yet officially unnamed opposition on August 9th at Villa Park

Paul Faulkner to jump off the top of The Holte End

Paul Faulkner is hurl himself off the top of The Holte End and he's looking for volunteers to leap off with him.

Villa's Chief Executive will be abseiling off the 100ft high stand at Villa Park on Sunday, July 6 in aid of The Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The 35-year-old is taking the plunge to raise funds for the charity after his own son William was diagnosed with the lung disease after he was born in September 2013.

Paul said: “William is our first child and we were filled with all of the natural worries and concerns new parents have before he was born.

“There was no history of cystic fibrosis in either of our families, so it was a devastating shock when he was diagnosed.

“We had to learn very quickly about the condition and the daily routine involved in ensuring William stays healthy.

“I’m pleased to say that he’s now seven months old and doing well.”

You can volunteer to join Paul  at cysticfibrosis.org.uk/avfc or sponsor him via uk.virgin moneygiving.com/PaulFaulkner