FAMILY and friends of a murdered Bexleyheath grandmother took to the field for a charity football match held in her memory.

Sally Hodkin, 58, was stabbed to death in Bexleyheath town centre on the morning of October 10, 2011, by mental patient Nicola Edgington who was sentenced in March to a minimum of 37 years in prison for her murder.

The Hodkin All Stars were captained by Mrs Hodkin’s son Ian, 35, but lost 5-4 to Sparrows Lane in the match at Erith Town FC on Friday evening (May 10) in front of a 300-strong crowd.

A raffle and collection buckets raised £6,000 split between the Meniere’s Society - which supports Meniere’s disease sufferers like Mrs Hodkin - and the witness service at the Old Bailey where Edgington was convicted.

Barclay’s Bank agreed to donate £1,500 to each cause.

Ian’s brother Len, 36, said: "Most of the players have seen better days: if they were horses they would be taken out to pasture.

“It was a really good atmosphere and thanks to Erith Town for giving us the facilities and the pitch for nothing.

“It is something we would like to carry on every year.”