Portsmouth and Rangers players of the past to be cheered on by sell-out AFC Portchester crowd for Lee Rigby Memorial Cup fixture

Several star-studded names with Pompey and Rangers connection from the past will take part in the Lee Rigby Memorial Cup fixture as an ex-Pompey side face off against an ex-Rangers team.

For the Blues, Yakubu, Pedro Mendes, Matt Taylor, Sean Davis, goalkeeping legend Alan Knight, Lee Bradbury, Darren Anderton and Paul Walsh are all part of the Pompey squad for the day, which will help raise funds for the Lee Rigby Foundation.

The ex-Rangers contingent, who are to be managed former England, Gers and Pompey man Mark Hateley, includes Nacho Novo, Marvin Andrews, Keith Gillespie, Clint Hill and Mark Walters.

Organiser Gary Nicholl, an avid Rangers supporter, first started the Lee Rigby Memorial Cup match in 2017 after approaching AFC Portchester and Lee's family about setting up an annual match for his chosen charity.

This will be the third staging with previous planned matches for the past three years scuppered because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Northern Irish organiser Nicholl, 47, said: ‘It means a lot (growth of Memorial Cup match). There's a charity that's going to benefit from it (Lee Rigby Foundation) and has done over the years.

‘The family (Lee's) come down for the games and they'll be down here on Friday. What they're doing now, every penny counts for them, for veterans and soldiers who have been injured.

‘There's going to be a lot of people there who brought tickets for the 2020 game (called off because of the pandemic). At night time there's a Q & A with Hateley (Mark), Pedro Mendes and Keith Gillespie.’

Lee's mother, Lyn, his stepfather and two sisters will all be in attendance at AFC Portchester for the memorial match. All proceeds after event after match-day expenses have been covered will go to the Lee Rigby Foundation.

Fusilier Lee was murdered by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale close to the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich in May 2013.