THE launch of an £8m rollercoaster drew a host of celebrities and sporting heroes to a North Yorkshire theme park today (Wednesday, July 24). Ashley Barnard joined the crowds to try out the terrifying Hero ride at Flamingo Land.

FORMER footballer Dean Windass has been in many high pressure situations in a long sporting career.

But today was the first time the 44-year-old former Middlesbrough player had ever been on a rollercoaster.

Having already been around once by the time I took my seat, he wasted no time telling me how frightening the ride is.

It involves climbing into a cage in a standing position and tilts you forward to give the sensation of flying.

We set off slowly and wound up in a corkscrew to a higher platform - and then the fun really began.

The ride spun us round and upside down - all while I was trying not to scream like a six-year-old.

As this wasn't enough to cope with, Windass - clearly not enjoying himself - was shouting mild expletives in my ear the whole time.

Speaking more calmly after the ride had finished, he said it was his first ever outing on a rollercoaster.

"I didn't enjoy the first go but someone told me to go around again and it was slightly better," he said. "I'm not in a hurry to go back on."

Windass, who also played for Hull City and Bradford City and was assistant manager at Darlington, was one of a number of sporting heroes who gathered at the theme park, near Malton, for the launch of the ride.

The build up to the grand opening was filled with a performance by singer Lemar, who started out on the BBC show Fame Academy in 2002.

He sang two of his better-known songs Dance With You and If There's Any Justice, which were possibly lost on many of the youngsters enjoying their summer holidays.

The park's chief executive Gordon Gibb introduced various sporting heroes to the stage, including South Shields Olympic swimmer Chris Cook, Harrogate diver Oliver Dingley, and the Leeds United manager Brian McDermott with former players.

Hero represents an £8m investment into the park, and Mr Gibb said he hopes to protect its market share as well as attract more tourists to Yorkshire, and secure more than 500 jobs.

“Today has taken a lot of organising but we got here in the end," he said.  

"I especially want to thank our heroes for coming to visit us and sharing the day.”