FORMER York City star Richard Cresswell has put his boots on again to help the charity fundraising drive by York youngster Oscar Hughes.

Mr Cresswell, who lives in Dunnington, took part in a weekend match between veterans from the village and Stamford Bridge.

The fixture raised £550 for the children's cancer charity Yorkshire Candlelighters, which Oscar, of Dunnington, decided to support after he underwent surgery just over a year ago to remove a brain tumour.

He and his family raised a total of £6,500 through a balloon sale at Dunnington Fair, a marathon relay at Dunnington Primary School involving all pupils and staff , and a relay version of the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon in York involving Oscar’s mother, Marie, and a group of other women.

His achievements won him a Child Of The Year award at the York Community Pride Awards ceremony last autumn.

The football match was organised by John Bryant, who formerly played for Stamford Bridge and now coaches a junior team in Dunnington.

He said Mr Cresswell, who was a friend of Oscar's family and who retired from professional football last summer, played for the full 90 minutes but failed to score in a 2-0 defeat. "He got his leg pulled about that afterwards!" he said.

"He did say how good it was though to get his boots on again and play again in a match."

Mr Bryant said the match, held in Stamford Bridge and involving players aged over 35, was watched by about 100 spectators.

He said he also planned to raise money for the Candlelighters through a sponsored walk along Yorkshire's Three Peaks on May 3, when he and about ten other walkers, including Oscar's father Ian, Pandora Maxton, Paul Bailey, Mark Darley, John Bryant, Matt Speak and Phil Richardson, intended to walk 23 miles in one day.

He said Oscar had been diagnosed with the brain tumour in February last year, since when he had undergone operations, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. "Through all this, Oscar and his family have been supported by Candlelighters, a fantastic charity."