THOSE with dreams of playing football at the County Ground will have to wait another year, after the plug was pulled on The Big Match charity fundraiser.

The annual charity football fixture featuring celebrities, ex-pros and members of the public was due to kick off at the Swindon venue on May 9.

However, with Town flying high in Sky Bet League One, the risk of a clash with proposed Football League dates for the play-offs has put pay to the event.

Organiser Neil Humphries revealed the news with great sadness, but accepted it was right to take the decision now rather than later.

He said the dates were not something which could have been predicted and had only recently been put forward as options to Football League clubs.

He said: “It was in the best interests of everyone concerned to cancel the date now rather than later. It was absolutely the right thing to do.

“There is uncertainty around what position they are going to be in. Whether or not the club is going to be in a play-off position is not something we can plan around, sadly.

“We can’t risk saying they are going to do it and then they turn out to be in the play-offs. The football side comes first.

“The players need the pitch available and in good condition.

“Sadly, the Football League only just released information on potential play-off dates. We had absolutely considered all things that we knew about when booking the date.”

Neil said pitch constraints also meant the match could not be delayed to a later date at the County Ground and he is now scouring the Thames Valley for suitable alternatives in a bid to keep the event alive.

Discussions with the club have also given him the belief the match could well makes its debut at the County Ground in 2016.

Despite being more than three months away, Neil said he had already begun to receive fundraising applications from Swindon residents for the chance to play in the match, but must now tell them the bad news.

Devised by Neil Humphries in 2012 as an informal fundraiser at Reading’s Madejski Stadium, the event has since spiralled to become a full day of fundraising surrounding a 90-minute charity match.

Last year, £75,000 was raised for The Brain Tumour Charity and Action for Childre with the likes of ex-footballers Neil Ruddock, Ossie Ardiles and David Seaman plus entertainer Gareth Gates turning out alongside the public.

Broadcaster Dan Lobb, former EastEnders actor Sam Attwater, actress Suzanne Shaw and singer Michelle Heaton had all but been confirmed for this year.

For more information, go to www.thebigmatch.co.uk