Lee Mairs Football Tournament raises £2,000 for The Wellspring

The winning BFS team with Lee Mairs' mum and dad, Darren and Joanne
The winning BFS team with Lee Mairs' mum and dad, Darren and Joanne

Actor Danny Miller and former Manchester City keeper Carlo Nash were among the players at the fifth Lee Mairs Football Tournament in Stockport.

The five-a-side event is held each year in memory of Lee Mairs, who died on a stag weekend in Tenerife in June 2012.

Lee Mairs
Lee Mairs

More than 300 friends, family and players turned out to pay their respects to Lee, from Bredbury, who was just 24 when he was found unconscious with a serious head injury outside his apartment.

Danny Miller, best known for his roles in Emmerdale and Scott & Bailey, has supported the event since the start and was joined this year by Carlo Nash, the former Stockport County keeper.

This year’s tournament at Stockport Rugby Club was won by BFS and raised around £2,000 for Stockport homeless charity The Wellspring.

Family friend Phil Brennan said: “The first tournament, which was held at Cheadle Town FC, was organised to help raise funds to help to bring Lee home to rest.

“The local community very quickly came together in support of Lee’s family and after a week of very heavy rain the sun came out as the four-team 11-a-side tournament started.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

“Local actor Danny Miller and his team, made up of fellow actors and celebrity’s, played against The Travellers Call in the final, which was fittingly won by our local pub.

“The following two years saw the tournament take on a new format to become a 24-team five-a-side competition, with AC Mill Lane beating Cherry Tree in the final both times.

“The last two tournaments have been held at Stockport Rugby Club in Bramhall. Last year’s competition was won by Sheffield Thursday, and this year we saw another new winner as BFS finally found a way to get out of the group stage before beating pre-tournament favourites Marple FC in an entertaining final.

“As ever Danny Miller played his part in the day, not only by putting his team in the tournament but also by happily posing for photographs and signing autographs during the post tournament celebrations later that day.

“Every year in Lee’s name we try to raise much needed funds for a charity of our choice, this year we are delighted to be in a position to donate £2,000 to help the homeless in and around our home town via this year’s nominated charity – The Wellspring.”

See all the latest news from South Manchester, Stockport, Trafford and Cheshire