NEW CHARITY DVD ‘ANOTHER (K)NIGHT TO REMEMBER’

Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration, supported by Virgin Money, was a very special evening of music, memories and laughter.  Family, friends, musicians, comedians, football greats and admirers gathered on the banks of the Tyne on 18th February to remember Sir Bobby on the night he would have turned 80.

Tickets for the event sold out within hours and now, thanks to a new dvd released today (Tuesday 4th June), Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration can be enjoyed by a much wider audience.

Raising funds for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, the dvd, Another (K)Night to Remember, includes all the highlights from the event including Sir Bobby’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ along with a host of funny and moving extra interviews from the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Bob Moncur and Lady Elsie.

Sir Bobby’s son Mark described the event at The Sage Gateshead as “one of the best nights of my life” and, as well as providing a fitting celebration of the football legend’s life, it also raised an incredible £80,000 for The Alan Shearer Foundation and Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Lady Elsie says: “We thoroughly enjoyed the celebration of Bob’s birthday.  It was a wonderful night and we were surrounded by friends and well-wishers. Bob would have been in his element.

“It was just so special to have gathered together such a wonderful line up of performers and football people.  And to have raised so much money for charity too, really I’m just blown away.

“It says a lot about the commitment of everyone involved in the organisation of the night, the generosity of the sponsors Virgin Money and the people who gave up time to appear, that it all ran so smoothly.  People are still talking about it now and I’m sure the DVD will be very popular.”

The team behind this dvd, Brian and Helen Mawson, Geoff Wonfor and Ray Laidlaw, also produced the popular A Knight to Remember dvd in 2009, which has raised more than £100,000 for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Paul Lloyd, Marketing Director of Virgin Money said: “We were proud to sponsor and support such a fantastic celebration of Sir Bobby's life on what would have been his 80th birthday and to have raised over £80,000 for such a great cause, seems perfectly apt.

“I look forward to watching the DVD and reliving the night many times over."

The charity night in February at The Sage Gateshead was originally planned with Sir Bobby’s involvement in 2009 and he filmed what became his last interviews to be shown at the event.

Hosted by Jim Rosenthal and former Lindisfarne singer Billy Mitchell, Sir Bobby Robson – A Celebration featured an amazing line-up of performers and football greats including Mark Knopfler, England legend Stuart Pearce, Joe McElderry, Northern Sinfonia - Orchestra of The Sage Gateshead, The Unthanks, Simon Day, Paul Whitehouse, Russell Watson, Alistair McGowan, Peter Brewis of Field Music, The Cornshed Sisters, Paul Smith of Maximo Park, Ruby Turner, Faryl Smith, Scarlet Street, Ben Ottewell of Gomez, Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas and Newcastle United’s Alan Pardew, Shola Ameobi  and Steve Harper.

Guests included Sir Bobby Robson Foundation Patrons with Middlesbrough FC chairman Steve Gibson and Sir Bobby’s Ipswich captain Mick Mills in attendance.  Sunderland AFC manager Martin O’Neill, Durham CCC’s Stephen Harmison, football legends Bob Moncur and Jack Charlton and Hebburn star Chris Ramsey in the audience.

Faryl Smith sang a stunning duet of Barcelona with Russell Watson and says: “It was a massive honour to be asked to join in the celebration for Sir Bobby and to help out with both charities.

“We’re a football mad family and I played for many years in a girls’ football team, so being involved was very rewarding.”

The event was organised by a dedicated and experienced team working on a voluntary basis.  They are music promoter, Adam Collerton; award-winning director, Geoff Wonfor; football and media producer, Oliver Fowler; tour manager, Sue Collier and event producer, Ray Laidlaw, formerly of Lindisfarne.

The team received tremendous support from The Sage Gateshead, performers, guests, local businesses and the football community - including Sir Bobby’s former clubs, FIFA, UEFA and The Football Association.

An ideal Father’s Day present, Another (K)Night to Remember is available in Windows, Newcastle, MetroCentre and Darlington priced at £16.99.  It is also available in T&G Alan, Morpeth, That’s Entertainment in Newcastle and the MetroCentre, Gojo in Hexham  and online from http://www.mawson-wareham.com/product.php?prodid=127.