Former professional footballers and soap stars are to play a match in memory of fallen soldier Tom Wroe.
The ex-players, including former Huddersfield Town, Leeds and Sunderland players, and actors from Emmerdale and Coronation Street will play in two matches to raise cash for a memorial bench for Pte Wroe and Sgt Gareth Thursby.
Pte Wroe, 18, from Meltham, and Sgt Thursby, 29, from Skipton, were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman at a checkpoint in Nahr-e-Seraj, Afghanistan in 2012.
The matches, which take place at Ossett Albion FC on Sunday 29 April, will raise cash for a joint memorial bench in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
The remainder of the money raised will go towards the Army Benevolent Fund and the Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Fund.
Among the ex-football pros confirmed for the match are Clyde Wijnhard (Huddersfield/Leeds), Andrew Welsh (Sunderland/Carlisle), Delroy Facey (Bolton Wanderers/Huddersfield), Gary Jones (Bradford/Rochdale), Darren Bullock (Town) and Jason Price (Swansea City, Hull City). More former pros are to be confirmed.
Soap stars playing include James Hooton who plays Sam Dingle in Emmerdale. Other Emmerdale actors and Coronation Street stars are also to be confirmed.
The first match will see a team of over 35s from the Huddersfield area playing the celebrities while the second match will see the ex-pro footballers playing players from the Yorkshire Regiment Team as well as past and present soldiers.
The matches, sponsored by The Tom Wroe Unit of Helme Hall care home, will be followed by a charity auction.
Lots at the auction include signed boxing gloves from heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, signed shirts from Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerard and Andrew ‘Freddy’ Flintoff and a signed Pele poster.
There will also be an assault course, vehicles from Knight Rider and Transformers and a performance by the official army band.
The event has been organised by Pte Wroe’s father Mick, his friend Jonathan Horsman, Sgt Thursby’s mother Caroline and army veterans Jamie Sykes and Major Rodger Helmn.
Mick, who also served in the army, said: “Tom and Gareth served together and died together and they will be remembered together. It’s fitting and it will be a fun family day.
“Our families are so grateful for what’s happening.”
Jonathan said: “Tom and Gareth are heroes around their towns. They gave everything for their country and we want their names to live forever.
“It’s absolutely amazing the help we have been offered so far.”
