Louismania: One Direction charity match is a scream

VIDEO: Press the play button to watch our video report, including exclusive chat with Louis Tomlinson. What Makes You Beautiful star Louis, aged 20, thanked more than 9,500 fans for helping to raise over £10,000 for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium. And he said of a possible concert there: “That would be fantastic.” Rovers chairman John Ryan hopes the biggest boy band in the world will accept an invite to perform at the ground which has already played host to the likes of Bryan Adams, Elton John and Westlife. In an exclusive chat with The Star he said: “We’ll certainly be asking them the question. Whether we can get them to agree to it we’ll see. “I remember the Beatles and One Direction are today’s equivalent. “Anything like this is great for the town. It puts us on the map that bit more.” Louismania greeted Louis and his band as thousands of screaming fans helped him to kick off his fund-raising for the hospice. Many of them, mainly teenage girls, turned up waving banners and looking more like party goers at the MTV awards than a football crowd. But they braved and brightened an otherwise cold, wet and foggy evening to help pin-up Louis raise much needed cash for the charity close to his heart. And the football fanatic achieved a lifetime goal that didn’t include another record-breaking number one or picking up more BRIT Awards. He was left pinching himself after he got to play on the hallowed turf of his beloved home team Doncaster Rovers. The heartthrob - one fifth of the biggest boy band on the planet - took along his local Three Horse Shoes team who beat a Rovers XI all-stars side 2-1. Doncaster born Louis, who was man of the match, even scored a penalty, at the second attempt, in a mini shoot out at the end of the match. He was cheered on from the sidelines by his 1D band mates Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Harry Styles. He sent fans into a frenzy before he even arrived on his pub team’s bus by tweeting about the game and asking fans to meet him at the players entrance to say hello. In a video chat with The Star he revealed he still gets “absolutely terrified” before every gig and was even more nervous about putting his football skills on show. “I’m potentially more nervous than I would be at a gig,’’ said the chart-topper. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still absolutely terrifying every time I go out to do a gig, but I kind of know what to expect now. I’ve not played competitive football in two years. I was worried what if I played terribly and these people have come to watch me.” He needn’t have worried. Every time the defender touched the ball the crowd screamed and cameras flashed around the ground. Louis, whose second 1D album Take Me Home is out November 12, is looking forward to another homecoming when they play three nights at Sheffield Motorpoint Arena on March 19, April 13 and 14. He recently became a patron of the hospice and decided on a football match to show his support. His decision to back Bluebell Wood and stage the match in Doncaster, rather than Wembley or Old Trafford, was about retaining his roots. Each year Bluebell Wood needs to raise over £3 million to deliver services and it receives no statutory Government funding. Louis backed calls for a Government rethink. He said: “I think the Government funds adult hospices but not children’s hospices. I don’t understand it. I don’t really have a say, but if I did I would say fund the children’s hospices.” Rachel Watson, Bluebell Wood’s marketing manager, told how Louis had taken time out of his busy schedule earlier in the day for a secret visit to the hospice to chat to children, parents and staff. She said:” He’s really lovely and genuine. “Fans were going wild and screaming pretty much throughout the game and when he talked to them at the end.” Doncaster chairman John Ryan admitted it wasn’t a typical Rovers crowd. But he’s hoping to get the X Factor stars back to perform a concert at the ground. He admitted: “We’ll certainly be asking them the question. Whether we can get them to agree to it we’ll see.” “I remember the Beatles and One Direction are today’s equivalent. “Anything like this is great for the town. It puts us on the map that bit more.” * X Factor star Janet Devlin will broadcast a live web stream from Eliot Kennedy’s Sheffield studio on Friday.

Louismania: One Direction charity match is a scream - VIDEO