Wallsend Boys benefit as Shearer hands £1.6m to charity

He may be six months into a well-earned playing retirement, but Alan Shearer's influence is still being felt as the former England and Newcastle striker yesterday handed over to charity the £1.64m proceeds from his testimonial.

In all, 14 organisations ranging from the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research to Wallsend Boys Club, where a young Shearer honed the skills that helped him become the Premiership's all-time leading scorer, received donations ranging from £15,000 to £608,000, in the presence of another famous North East figure, Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"The difficult part was deciding which charities to give it to," said Shearer, 36, who admitted his testimonial against Celtic at St James' Park in May was unforgettable.

Shearer said: "I've said a lot of thank-yous but the main one has to go to all the people who've paid their money. The game was unbelievable and will live with me forever."

Shearer insists there is a lot of work going on at clubs to help causes. He added: "There's a lot of work behind the scenes which doesn't get the limelight."

Shearer's beneficiaries: Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy £608,000, NSPCC £347,000, St Cuthberts Care £250,000, Newcastle General Hospital A & E £95,000, Freeman Hospital £95,000, Royal Victoria Infirmary - Children's Services £95,000, Wilm's Tumour (Institute of Cancer Research) £25,000, Little Hearts Matter £25,000, Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research £25,000, Samaritan's Purse £25,000, Cramlington Juniors FC £15,000, Wallsend Boys Club £15,000, Friedreich's Ataxia Research £10,000, Gosforth High School £10,000.