5 things you didn’t see from Soccer Aid as Gary Neville booed and pitch invaded

Millions of TV viewers enjoyed watching the World XI win 11th edition of Soccer Aid at West Ham’s London Stadium on Sunday evening… but not everything was caught on camera

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Soccer Aid: Lee Mack nets winning penalty for World XI

The World XI won Soccer Aid for the fourth year in a row on Sunday evening, beating England in a penalty shootout at the London Stadium.

There were two penalties during the first half with World XI’s Noah Beck and England’s Mark Wright scoring from the spot. Tom Grennan gave the Three Lions the advantage shortly after the interval before Kem Cetinay’s strike forced the game into penalties.

England never recovered from a nightmare start to the shootout as Tom Grennan and Russell Howard both missed from the spot. Lee Mack scored the winning penalty, heaping more misery on the Three Lions and capping off a special evening in east London.

Mirror Football were at the London Stadium to watch the action unfold. Here are six things you might have missed if you watched the game on TV at home.

Cheers and jeers

It’s always interesting to see what reception the celebrities get at charity games. Robbie Williams, David Beckham and Liam Payne all received cheers, while the loudest reception was reserved for West Ham legend Mark Noble on his home ground.

Yet there were also plenty of jeers. Gary Neville, Dimitar Berbatov and Jamie Carragher were all booed within the first 10 minutes. The latter was handed the role of pantomime villain – probably because of the strong tackles he’s made on celebrities in previous years. Either that or Monday Night Football isn’t that popular around these ends.

Robbie saves the day

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Just seconds after the referee blew for half-time, a stage (on wheels) was rolled on to the pitch for Robbie Williams to perform. Dozens of staff quickly got the platform ready for him to belt out Angels, while Dermot O’Leary chatted to David Harewood.

The stadium announcer then asked the crowd to practice singing Angels before Robbie’s actual performance, putting the lyrics on the big screen to help them. It was quite weird – seeing as Angels is one of the most famous songs of all time – but the crowd still loved it.

Alex Brooker’s reception

Alex Brooker made history on Sunday evening – becoming the first disabled footballer to take part in Soccer Aid. The Last Leg star put in a flawless display on the wing and received a brilliant reception from the crowd when he made way for Chunkz.

“I’m so excited to be a part of Soccer Aid for UNICEF,” said Brooker ahead of the event. “I’ve watched it for years and I’m proud that I will be the first physically disabled person to play in the match.

“When I was a baby, my parents didn’t even know if I’d end up being able to walk, so to be involved in something like this is special. I should add that I’m right footed and don’t have a right foot, so I’m not gonna be a game changer! But I just can’t wait to be involved.”

Pitch invasions

Sir Mo Farah made the best of a difficult situation when a child ran on to the pitch. The four-time Olympic champion carried the youngster off the playing surface and made sure he was safe, receiving a well-deserved reception from those inside the London Stadium.

That moment was shown on TV, but the other pitch invasion wasn’t. Two grown men ran on to the playing surface at half-time – shortly before Robbie’s performance – and several stewards were needed to resolve the situation. A sour note on a superb evening.

Justice for Chunkz

England equalised just before half-time after Chunkz was fouled in the box by Beck. The YouTuber wanted to take the penalty, but Jamie Carragher told him it was Mark Wright’s kick. The crowd were furious with the decision, despite Wright finding the net.

Shortly after England’s equaliser, Chunkz almost made it 2-1. He was picked out in the box but couldn’t find the target. To make matters worse for the 26-year-old, he was brought off by manager Harry Redknapp at half-time – a decision booed by fans.

That was the end of Chunkz’s night. He didn’t even get the chance to take a penalty in the shootout! I’m off to go start a ‘Justice for Chunkz’ petition outside the London Stadium.