Old friendship inspires mission to Africa

Jan 29 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

A friendship lasting more than 20 years between a County Durham man and TV presenter Adrian Chiles has had an unusual spin-off – benefiting former child soldiers in a war-torn African state. Neil McKay reports on how Alan Shearer has become involved and how football is helping youngsters in Liberia.

IT started like most university friendships – at the student union bar.

The down-to-earth northerner and the equally forthright Black Countryman soon found they shared a similar sense of humour and a love of football.

In the case of Consett-born Ged Naughton, who was studying English and Spanish at Westfield College, part of London University, the love affair was with Newcastle United. While the passion of Adrian Chiles, who was studying English, was West Bromwich Albion.

Fast forward more than 20 years and the pair, both 41, who have remained close pals, are planning a trip to Liberia later this month as part of a Sports Relief project to help homeless children.

And Adrian, Match of the Day 2 and One Show host, is also planning to cycle 280 miles from Newcastle to London with football legend Alan Shearer, to support the charity which has raised £50m for underprivileged children, on his return from Liberia.

Shearer has also recently been out to Uganda for another Sport Relief project.

Adrian, in Liberia, in west Africa, with Ged at the moment, explained: “I’ll be visiting projects which help the kids of the war-torn region.

“When I studied at Westfield College, a good friend, Ged Naughton, left the UK to go to work there. He had all sorts of stories about what children were going through – from fighting in the army to getting limbs amputated. It sounded like hell on earth.”

Ged, a freelance public relations consultant who returned to his native Consett after spending years working for the catholic charity Cafod, is accompanying his university pal to Liberia.

He explained: “I became interested in the country thanks to a teacher at my old school, St Bede’s in Lanchester.

“He told me about the conditions out there at the time, in the 1980s, and I went out as a volunteer for several months.

“I helped run a youth project where kids could do courses and also play football, basketball and volleyball, which is huge in Liberia.

“The youngsters do not get free education, a privilege we take for granted, so they would come to the youth centre to enrol on courses.”

Ged also became involved with a remarkable Liberian football team called the Millennium All-Stars, based in the capital, Monrovia.

“It was formed by the street kids and child soldiers who wanted to play football.

“They decided themselves to set it up, I simply helped by raising funds for their kit and so on.

“But I told my local church, St Patrick’s in Consett, about the team and they have supported them over the years.

“In 1999, they came over here and played a game against my old school team, and they also met Sir Bobby Robson, who was Newcastle’s manager at the time, and some of the players at the training ground. Now some of the kids who formed the team are coaching other youngsters who play for them. They are coming to Consett later this year to take part in an international youth football tournament.”

Ged keeps his university pal informed of his ties with Liberia, hence the visit this month.

He said: “Adrian hasn’t changed despite his high profile.

“He rang me from the World Cup in Germany in 2006 and he was whispering down the phone. He said he was having a meal with all these football personalities like Shearer, Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen, Lee Dixon and Martin O’Neill. He sounded thrilled and he asked me if I had any questions for any of them.

“I knew the Aston Villa manager, Martin O’Neill, was a boyhood Sunderland fan so I got Adrian to ask if it was true he had a Sunderland tattoo, a rumour I had heard. Adrian did ask him and told me the rumour was unfounded, alas.

“But our friendship was cemented due to our love of football at university – we both played for the college team – and football is now helping the street kids of Liberia.”

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It's on yer bike for Shearer

NEWCASTLE United legend Alan Shearer will cycle 280 miles from Newcastle to London in one-and-a-half days for Sport Relief.

He will be joined by Adrian Chiles for the gruelling challenge, which will take place on March 13.

The pair will saddle up and leave St James’s Park, heading all the way down to BBC Television Centre the following day. Shearer and Chiles hope to arrive at the Sport Relief studio in the middle of the live broadcast on the evening of March 14.

The former Magpies and England skipper was in Uganda last week as part of the appeal, and took part in a kick-about with the children of Aids victims in the African country’s capital, Kampala.

The 2006 Sport Relief event raised £18m through charity events with a sporting theme.