Singer Maxi Priest makes his football debut

Pop legend Maxi Priest may not have been troubling the chart compilers of late, but he has at least been playing to packed houses in the Seagrave Haulage League. Dreadlocked Priest, whose easy reggae styling delighted pop fans throughout the 80s and 90s, made his debut for Southall FC at age of 43.

The Jamaican-born Priest came on as a substitute in the match against Feltham, although it was not a happy start to his career, as Southall slumped to a 0-3 loss.

It was a family affair for Priest, whose hits include Just A Bit Longer, Close To You and Wild World, as he played alongside his son Marvin. Priest usually splits his time between his London and New York homes but was happy to answer the call for help from Chalfont St. Peter after Southall suffered a player crisis following injuries and suspensions.

"The details were faxed through to me before the match so he was eligible to play the next day," said Southall president and registration secretary Ron Monkley. "However, there are so many registrations to deal with, I didn't realise who it was at first."

Southall have a proud history of attracting big name signings, having lured Terry Fenwick to become director of football in 2000.