On August 1 2014, an all-star football team led by veteran fundraiser Barry Donegan will be embarking on a very unusual challenge. The team will be playing 5 football games… in 5 nations… within a 48 hour time period! It’s all part of The 5 Nations 48 Challenge, the brainchild of Barry and his friend David, all in aid of �� Children in Need! It’s not going to be easy, but if they succeed, they could even end up with a Guinness World Record!

However, these aren’t just any football teams – professional footballers and stars from the nation’s favourite soaps are all giving up their time to make the challenge work! Ex-footballers such as Lee Sharpe and Gary Bennett (just two of many) will be taking on soap luminaries such as Nick Pickard and Alan Halsall, all to have a bit of fun and raise a bit of cash.

The Route

It all starts at 6pm on August 1 2014. The first game will be played at Gretna Football club in Scotland. The team will be facing a strong side made up of ex-Carlisle United players.

After this dramatic start the team will then cross the water over to Northern Ireland for their next game at 10am the next morning, taking on a team including Jim Magilton and Stephen Robinson.

A whirlwind day then sees the (by now probably quite tired) team travelling south into Ireland to face off against a team headed by Boyzone's Keith Duffy. Kick off starts at 5pm at Peamount United Football Ground. Keith's put together an all-star team of ex-footballer and celebrities, so this should be a great game to see.

The following morning finds the journeying back over the water to Wales for a challenging game against Pen-y-cae FC, with a kick off at 10am at Pen-y-cae FC's ground.

The fifth and final game pitts a tired but determined team against the 'TV Select; team at Nantwich Town Football Club at 2.30pm. This game matches our charity team against a squad made of players from popular TV soaps. Some of the names confirmed include Danny Miller from Emmerdale, Nick Pickard and Nico Mirallegro from Hollyoaks , Jamie Lomas from Eastenders, and TV favourite Ralph Little.

Fancy getting involved, or simply feel like watching the beautiful game? You can help Barry and the gang reach their £20,000 fundraising target just by attending a game at the locations above - all of the games look set to be good fun! Alternatively you can donate a little something to Barry and the boys - you can find their donation page here. Of course, every penny they raise will go towards helping children and young people right here, in the UK. Good luck Barry, and a big thank you from everyone here at Pudsey HQ!

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The 5 Nation 48 Challenge for �� Children in Need

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The 5 Nation 48 Challenge for �������� Children in Need

�� Children in Need Feed

The 5 Nation 48 Challenge for �� Children in Need