FORMER Bradford City stars will take to the pitch again this weekend for a special charity match dedicated to Bantams legend Allan Gilliver.

Taking place on Sunday, the match - Bradford City Veterans Football Team versus former Leeds United players - is a fundraiser for three charities linked to dementia: Friends Together, Guiseley Memories Cafe and the residents’ entertainment fund at Mill View Care Home.

Managing the City veterans is former City player and manager Terry Dolan, who made almost 200 appearances for the Bantams. Other stars wearing the claret and amber with pride include Lee Duxbury and Brazilian striker Edinho Amaral.

Allan, known as Gilly, was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2013. He lived at home in Allerton with his wife Chris, but is now at Mill View Care Home. Chris said the decision to move Allan into fulltime care was “heartbreaking” but caring for him at home had taken its toll on her own health.

Allan, 78, started his football career with Huddersfield Town in 1961 and played for several clubs including Bradford City. Known as ‘Mr Bradford City’, he worked at the club after his football career, in roles such as groundsman and commercial manager. He retired in 2007, after a four-decade association with City. Allan and Chris believe his dementia was caused by heading the ball. “I scored a lot of goals heading the ball, we had heading practice every day,” Allan told the T&A in 2015. “It hurt like hell - footballs were much heavier back then.”

In 2021 the couple appeared in BBC TV documentary Dementia & Us, which followed families living with the condition over a two-year period, including lockdown. “We decided to do it because people don’t know enough about dementia,” Chris told the T&A. “It’s not just about losing your keys or forgetting where you put your phone. It affects the whole body and personality. Dementia is a complex condition, you don’t get a pack to deal with it. Nobody tells you what it entails. We learned things as we went along but it’s been a struggle. People who care for loved ones with dementia often just struggle through.” One of the organisations benefitting from Sunday’s match is Guiseley Memories Cafe, a friendly meeting place for people with dementia and their carers. Chris, who has been a regular there with Allan, says: “We have an amazing set of volunteers who plan and run sessions, encouraging memories and discussion everyone can enjoy. There is always music, laughter and friendship, alongside advice and support.”

* The Bradford City Veterans Match is on Sunday at Silsden AFC. Kick off at 2pm. The City players are: Peter Costello, Lee Duxbury, Gary Jones, Dean Windass, Edinho Amaral, Luke O’Brien, Graeme Tomlinson, Kevin Sanasy, Lee Clapham, Craig Taylor, Kyle Maloney, Lee Flam, Richard Wilson and Tom Claisse. Call Andrew Milnes on 07703 548020.