Welshpool’s newest recruit fails to make “unbelievable” impression

The recent return of one of the greatest central midfield players to grace England’s top division has epitomised the old adage that age is only a number. This time however, 37-year old Paul Scholes is a mere shadow to one man who is renowned for his television antics that entertain Football fans every Saturday afternoon.

At the measly age of 54, former Stoke City and Leeds United midfielder Chris Kamara has come out of his 17-year retirement to appear for Spar mid-Wales League outfit Welshpool Town. The surprisingly reappearance of the Sky Sports Soccer Saturday star, came about after Welshpool were thumped 10-1 by their local rivals which prompted a chaffed response from presenter Jeff Stelling.

Following the humiliating defeat to neighbours Waterloo Rovers, Welshpool manager David Jones e-mailed the witty programme to explain the clubs recent financial disposition. In response Sky arranged for “Kammy”, as he known by the other guests, to dig out his boots and appear in Saturday’s clash with Rhayader in an attempt to make amends.

Despite attracting a crowd of over 500, 10 times the average attendance at Welshpool’s Maes y Dre Recreation Ground, Kamara failed to make an impact as the hosts were soundly beaten 6-1. In spite of the score line, Jones praised the former Bradford man and his contributions throughout the match. He said: “Chris played really well. He's still very fit.”

The Lilywhites were 2-0 down at half time, but rallied and brought themselves back into contention straight after the break. Jones added: “He gave us a team talk before the game and at half-time and he was talking to the lads throughout the match. We got back into it early in the second half, but Rhayader ran away with it in the end.”

When asked whether Kamara would appear again for the Welsh side, Jones responded by denying any chance of a return, leaving the presenter with plenty of time to recover from his first game in nearly two decades.