Ramsay floored as charity match goes awry

By Brooks Peck at The Dirty Tackle

28 May 2012 at 1:43 am

The biennial Soccer Aid match benefiting UNICEF was once again held at Old Trafford on Sunday (local time), pitting England against the Rest of the World.

As usual, both teams were comprised of a mix of celebrities and football legends, but this year one of those celebrities probably regretted stepping on the pitch with one of those legends.

Playing for the Rest of the World team along with the likes of Will Ferrell, Gerard Butler, Mike Myers, Ed Norton and Woody Harrelson (who scored the winning penalty two years ago) under recently sacked Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, chef and profanity connoisseur Gordon Ramsay was taken off on a stretcher an hour into the game after former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham smashed into him.

Gordon Ramsay gets stretchered off the Wembley pitch.

Ramsay, who was a trialist with Rangers in his younger days before a knee injury ended his hopes of a career as a footballer, didn't get much sympathy from Sheringham after the hit.

Instead, the England striker gave him a pat on the face as Ramsay winced in pain before being carried off and replaced by "X-Men: First Class" actor James McAvoy.

Will Ferrel was among a number of stars who pulled on the shirt for the clash.

Edward Norton and Woody Harrelson warm up for the RotW side.

England (under manager Sam Allardyce) went on to win the match 3-1 with their first goal coming from Sheringham himself just nine minutes after crushing Ramsay, but the goal of the day belonged to the RotW team's Serge Pizzorno, lead guitarist for Kasabian, who chipped a beauty over legendary Arsenal keeper David Seaman.

"I told my careers adviser I wanted to be centre forward for Leicester City. When he said 'No' I thought I'd be in a rock 'n' roll band," Pizzorno said before the match, showing that he was a bit too easily swayed as a youth.