POP sensation Olly Murs made a special appearance to help Step 6 side Coggeshall Town draw with Ipswich Town – after paying to improve the club’s showers!
Murs, 32, shot to fame in the music industry after humble beginnings, including turning out for Ryman North side Witham Town!
The former striker spent three seasons at Spa Road before his X-Factor breakthrough but football has always remained his first love.
As well as taking part in the annual Soccer Aid games, Murs has been helping out Coggeshall, and pulled on the Eastern Counties League Division One side’s shirt on Friday, attracting a bumper crowd of 1,022.
Murs, who helped the club celebrate their Essex & Suffolk Border League Title last season, played the last 30 minutes as Ipswich’s youngsters were given a real test.
“Coggeshall is an up and coming, exciting club that a lot of people want to be a part of,” Murs said ahead of the game.
“I’m a football fan and when I hear the enthusiasm from Graeme (Smith, chairman) and the amount of money he’s put in, I just want to help him out.
“I have a fantastic career and get to do the most amazing things but football is a huge part of my life – it’s all I’ve ever done since I was a kid and it’s always been my first love.
“This project keeps me grounded. It’s a great laugh and I love it – the first thing you miss when you leave football is just being involved in a team and that atmosphere.”
Not only did the ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’ and ‘Heart Skips a Beat’ singer help swell the crowd at West Street – he also paid for a bit of luxury after the match!
“For the game, we really wanted to get the showers done,” he added. “I said to Graeme ‘I’ve been playing down here for a couple of years now and the showers are dreadful!’.
“I wanted to put some money in and get it sorted so I rang my plumber up, who works at West Ham, and asked him to sort the showers out.
“A club like Ipswich Town wouldn’t have to worry about things like that but to have a good shower after the match is a big thing for Coggeshall!”
