BB FANS

The Match: Sky One. 7.00pm
Celebrity Trials New series. Eighty celebrities, including rugby legend Martin Offiah and Big Brother winner Anthony Hutton, battle for a place in a football side that will compete against a team of legendary players led by Graham Taylor. The best 21 will attend an England coaching session in La Manga, before heading home to be trained at Newcastle United's academy by former Sunderland boss Peter Reid.

Gaurdian

Peter Reid takes over in the Legends hot seat...
This year the Legends have a new manager as Peter Reid takes charge of the star-studded team for the first time.

If his management style is anything like the way he plays, the Celebrities can expect a bruising encounter. Last year Reid proved himself a fierce competitor on the field (have another look at his X-rated tackle on Celeb star Jonathan Wilkes if you need a reminder).

Off the pitch he'll demand the same qualities from his players that he displayed as the linchpin of Everton's midfield in the 1980's… blazing passion, relentless work-rate and a readiness to bleed for the cause.

It's at Sunderland that Reid really made his mark as a manager - and he can expect a rough ride from the Newcastle crowd. The man the Geordies called 'Monkey's Heed' (!) will be desperate to ram the taunts down their throats with the direct style of play that saw him achieve big success on Wearside.

Standing in his way is a team of Celebrities; significantly less celebrated in footballing terms, but much younger and fitter than his own. The question is - who will want it more..?

Can Reid mould a team of players that have already proved it all in the game and get them to prove it again against a bunch of pop stars and actors?

The answer is that he must. Reid's mission is to win in style… failure is unthinkable.

Any Legends who think they're in for an easy ride might be having some words in the gaffer's office pretty soon…

Skyone

The Match is back… and the stakes are higher than ever.
Graham Taylor's side have won the respect of the Legends with two excellent performances, but this time around that won't be enough. This time, they need to win The Match.

After two years of coming close, the boss is desperate to stuff his face with that elusive cigar. If he fails again he could be out of a job…

The Celebrities' task is as daunting as ever… walking out in front of 52,000 screaming Geordies and locking shins with likes of Dennis Irwin and David Batty.

The odds are against them, but with GT's side one year more experienced and the Legends one year older, this year's tussle is set to be closer than ever. And that would be saying something…

For two years running the Celebrities have been edged out by the narrowest of margins. Last time out the heroics of Legends keeper Neville Southall kept them at bay as they lost 2-0 at St James' Park. This time the under-pressure Taylor will be taking a tougher approach with his squad and nothing less than victory will do.

The trials will be bigger and more gruelling with 70 Celebs chasing 21 spots. In the week-long build up to The Match, that squad will be whittled down to 16 as GT puts three players on the bench every night. Every night one player gets dropped from the squad and two gets saved: who stays and who goes is up to you.

On Sunday 8 October, the Legends and Celebrities will meet for the third time. It will be loud, it will be fiery… and this year will be the closest yet.

The clock is ticking towards the big kick-off, but in the meantime you can get yourself in the mood by watching the highlights from last year's show.
Skyone

Which Celebs will be in the gaffer's thoughts this year..?
For the Celebrities, The Match is all about living the dream… trotting out onto the pristine turf of a packed stadium and playing against your heroes.

Whether that means scoring past Bruce Grobbelaar, selling a dummy to Des Walker or being on the receiving end of a David Batty tackle, every moment is one to be cherished.

Of 70 hopefuls that go through the trials, only 16 will make the final squad.

Ralf Little could be a starter after a starring performance last year. He’s likely to be joined by crowd favourite Anthony Hutton, the Geordie boy who gave a man of the match performance in last year’s game.

Up front, Harvey will have a point to prove after firing blanks 12 months ago. He fluffed a sitter when faced with the imposing figure of Neville Southall, while Darren Campbell showed England form… by missing a penalty.

Those mistakes could prove costly as Taylor picks a new team - one he thinks will win. With the trials approaching, no one’s place is safe.

During the trials the players’ fitness and skills will be tested to the limit and just 21 will make it onto the plane to Marbella for a pre-competition training camp. After that the public and the Celebs themselves will help GT decide which 16 players get to live the dream at St James’ Park.

That’s where they’ll get the chance to chase another dream… the dream of beating the Legends.


Skyone

I was wondering the other day whatever happened to David Batty. He just vanished from football without any retirement announcement or anything like that.

The Celebs are off to Marbella for three days of sun, sand, sea and silky soccer skills. Lucky them. So what could possibly go wrong? Sky

29 September 2006
By Mark Mcgivern
DailyRecord

I'M ZOE NOSY
Telly girl spied on football show celebs in the nude


CHEEKY TV host Zoe Ball has admitted spying on nude football players through a peep hole in their changing room.

The former DJ copped an eyeful during the last series of reality show The Match, which pitted celebrities against former football stars.

Yesterday, Zoe, now hosting a new series, admitted: "Last year, there was a little hole in the door where you could peek through and see the boys getting out of the showers.

"Me and the make-up girls were like, 'Look, here comes Will Mellor - phwoargh! But Ralph Little is my favourite so I'm looking forward to seeing him again."

Zoe,35, who is married to DJ Fatboy Slim, is now preparing for the next match on Sunday.

The celebrities will include Emmerdale hunk Ben Freeman, Big Brother winner Anthony Hutton and Jade Goody's former husband Jeff Brazier.

They will be lining up at Newcastle United's St James's Park against a team of ex-pros including Ian Rush, Peter Beardsley, Peter Reid and John Barnes.

So Solid star's headbutt shame Sun