THE combination may be unusual, but the worlds of football and art are being brought together in York by the "square sheep artist", Yorkshireman Mackenzie Thorpe.

Newly on show at the Castle Galleries, in Coppergate Centre, until June 1, The Game Of Life consists of a collection of limited-edition prints, sculpture, merchandise and limited edition book.

On June 15 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, his original pastels will be auctioned, with some proceeds going towards children's charities. Thorpe, who has left his Richmond base to live and work in San Francisco, will attend this auction, along with figures from the football world.

"Football has always been a challenge to me," Thorpe says. "I never stayed with the ball long enough to do anything. I never really followed or supported a team, yet still, I did stay out all night in the snow once, to get a ticket to see George Best play. Somehow the excitement was infectious and it managed to get through to me. In one way or another, whether you are interested in football or not, the game, more so than any other, does seem to touch us throughout our lives."

He recalls childhood days playing football with a worn-down, unlaced, deflated leather easy ball. "It wouldn't bounce, it was like heading a brick and it stung your hands if you saved it," he says. "Yet any given day we could adopt exotic names like Pele, Lev Yashin and play in the World Cup, sing the songs and listen to the crowds roar. All of this was in total contrast to the grey, cold, down-town streets we played in.

"Whatever your age, whatever your background, the magic of football goes far beyond the pitch. I invite you to remember the moments when the game has had a lasting effect on your life, of how it has brought friends together, united whole communities, even countries. How it has filled you with a passion and a purpose and how it reflects life itself, in its losses and frustrations, near misses and great wins."

The Middlesbrough-born Thorpe rose to prominence as "the square sheep artist" when Richmond MP William Hague used one of his paintings for his annual Christmas card while Tory leader, and his celebrated collectors include Sir Elton John, Bill Wyman and impresario Cameron Mackintosh.

Opening hours at the Castle Galleries are Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5.30pm; Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Mackenzie Thorpe will be there on June 1.

Updated: 11:07 Friday, May 02, 2003