A CHARITY football tournament is taking place this weekend in aid of injured AFC Thackley footballer Jamie Underdown.

Mr Underdown, who plays on the wing for Thackley, suffered a horrific knee injury while playing against Hemsworth Miners Welfare three months ago, and faces at least 18 months of gruelling physiotherapy just to help him walk again.

On Sunday, at SportZone Bradford in Thornbury, has been organised to raise money to help buy items to help Mr Underdown live more independently and get access to intense physio sessions.

Almost 20 per cent of the £5,000 goal has been raised so far, and Phil Virco, who has organised the tournament, hopes it will give that sum a healthy boost towards its target.

He said: “I first got involved when I saw the video clip of Jamie getting injured and got in touch with his mum, Sarah.

“I met her and Jamie, and decided to organise an event to help raise money.

“The response has been fantastic. Bradford City Football in the Community has donated some items, as has television programme Soccer AM, along with a few other local businesses, for the raffle and charity auction.

“After spending the last two months organising the events, I’m looking forward to them, and we are looking to raise as much as possible on the day.”

Teams will compete in a five-a-side tournament from 12.30pm until 5.30pm, and there will also be a raffle, bouncy castle, food and merchandise available to buy on the day.

Following the tournament, an evening event is taking place at Waller’s Brewery in Sunbridge Wells from 7pm onwards, which will feature a live band, charity auction, and karaoke.

Mr Underdown, 20, is currently recovering from the injury he received in the game, which left him with a completely severed anterior cruciate ligament and lateral cruciate ligament, a badly ruptured posterior cruciate ligament, and a dislocated kneecap.

Doctors carried out an operation to repair Mr Underdown’s lateral cruciate ligament late last year and also put his kneecap back into place, and he had an operation to repair his anterior cruciate ligament last month.

The initial focus is on helping Mr Underdown get back to walking normally before any thoughts of getting back to playing football are considered.

Sarah Underdown, Mr Underdown’s mother, said the family are “really grateful” to Mr Virco for organising the event.

She said: “He has done so much to organise the event, he has been great.

“Jamie is having another operation on Friday on his knee, so fingers crossed we will be able to get down and hopefully it will give him a boost.”

To donate to the crowdfunding campaign, visit ustgiving.com/crowdfunding/jamieunderdown.