Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham legends competed in a special match to mark the opening of a new sports pavilion in Chigwell.
The Grange Farm Centre will provide a home for FA Charter Standard Club Colebrook Royals FC, which will enable them to run 40 teams as part of a five-year Football Development Plan.
The club worked in partnership with the Essex FA to secure a £502,500 grant from the Football Foundation, the country's largest sports charity, to provide a new sports pavilion and grass pitches at the centre.
FA Director of Football Development, Sir Trevor Brooking, cut the ribbon on the new facilities before the crowd was treated to a footballing master class from world-renowned freestyler Mike Delaney.
Sky Sports presenter Ben Shephard donned the claret and blue jersey to represent the Hammers legends side in their 5-1 defeat to Spurs. Speaking at the event, he said: "This is a fantastic occasion for the club and the local community.
"To see so many famous faces support the opening is tremendous and a testament to the hard work of all the people and organisations who have brought these excellent facilities to fruition.
"The Football Foundation in particular is a charity I feel very passionately about and as an ambassador have seen the real difference the work is doing to improve communities across the country."
Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation, funded by the Premier League, The FA, and the Government (via Sport England), has awarded around 8,000 grants worth more than £420 million towards improving grassroots sport.
Additional funding for this project came from Grange Farm Centre Trust, Chigwell Parish Council and the club itself.
For more information contact:
• Richard Faulkner on 0845 345 4555 ext 4274 or richard.faulkner@footballfoundation.org.uk
