Black Country boy Bellingham supports Duncan Edwards Peace Field

26 Oct Black Country boy Bellingham supports Duncan Edwards Peace Field

Stourbridge-born midfielder Jude Bellingham, now starring in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, has donated a signed shirt to raise funds for the Duncan Edwards Peace Field Project at The Dell Stadium in the borough of Dudley.

Black Country boys Bellingham and Edwards made their full international debuts for England at Wembley in their teens 65 years apart.

Edwards was 18 when he scored for England in a 7-2 win over Scotland in 1955 and Bellingham was a year younger at 17 when he scored for England as they ran out 3-0 winners against Northern Ireland at Wembley on November 12, 2020.

Jim Cadman, chairman of Duncan Edwards United said: “Duncan is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and Jude is clearly destined for football super stardom too.”

“We are very proud of their Black Country heritage and honoured that their names are linked with our project, which involves football pitches all over the world being twinned with the iconic 1914 Christmas Truce football match on Flanders Field in Belgium in World War One.”

The signed shirt will be among many items on show at the Memories and Memorabilia Football Fair at the Copthorne Hotel in Dudley on Sunday, November 13.

Running from 10am to 4pm, the event will showcase an extensive range of vintage football memorabilia presented by some of the country’s top dealers and collectors.

Admission costs £10 which includes free autographs and photographs with guest players who will pose with visitors holding full size replicas of the FA Cup, the European Cup and the World Cup trophy. Children aged under 16 will be admitted free.

Guests will include Aston Villa’s 1982 European Cup winning captain Dennis Mortimer, Coventry City 1987 FA Cup winner Dave Bennett, West Bromwich Albion striker Bob Taylor plus cartoon legend Roy of the Rovers with his creator, artist Paul Trevillion.

All profits from the event will go to the Duncan Edwards Peace Field Project.

The press release was featured on the Express & Star website. 

The story also appeared on the front pages of the Stourbridge News and Halesowen & Dudley News and the Stourbridge News website and Dudley News website.