TWO proud little girls will stand on the terraces of a North-East football club tomorrow night to watch some of the region's greatest stars turn out in memory of their tragic father.

Former Newcastle United apprentice Gary Walton, 37, met a violent death last July on a night out in his home village of Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Although his devasted daughters Laura, aged 11, and eight-year-old Kara are big Magpies' fans, they will set team rivalry aside for a memorable night when big names from the region's top five clubs turn out for a match at Spennymoor United's ground.

Gary's friend and former clubmate, Alan Shoulder, arranged the game as part of a year-long fundraising mission to support the girls and their mother, Susan.

With other friends from the Coundon area, he has set up a memorial fund to help the family.

The former Newcastle United player has had no shortage of help from the players he knew during his years in the game.

Chris Waddle, Peter Beardsley, Peter Reid, Chris Turner, Bernie Slaven, Jim Platt, Gary Bennett and Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson are all on the team sheets for the game, which is officially between a Newcastle United XI and a combined Sunderland and Middlesbrough side.

Mrs Walton said: "Gary would have loved to be there. He wouldn't have believed that all these players would have turned out just for him. When something like this happens you lose faith in human nature at first. But then you realise that there are not so many bad people after all, and people can be really kind."

Laura is already following in her father's prizewinning ways. As a 17-year-old he was voted Newcastle's most promising young striker, with 39 goals for the reserves.

He would have been proud of his daughter, who played for her junior school and who carried off an award for the player with the best attitude from a recent Newcastle coaching programme organised by police in Leeholme.

A limited number of £2 tickets are available at the gates for tomorrow's match, which kicks off at 7pm. Clubs and players, including Kevin Keegan and Paul Gascoigne, have sent shirts and mementoes for a prize draw.

For further details contact Alan Shoulder on (01388) 601253.

l A 23-year-old man has been charged with Mr Walton's murder.