Beardo's just glass! BLACK CATS BOSS BUYS STATUE OF LEGEND TO HELP CHARITY.

Byline: LAURA PITEL

SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce has a new ornament for his living room - a statue of Peter Beardsley and Brian Laws.

All three were products of the Wallsend Boy's Club and attended their annual dinner held recently. This year the evening had a special theme - it marked the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Peter Beardsley and Brian Laws played on the day of the tragedy which claimed 96 lives, Beardsley for Liverpool and Laws for Nottingham Forrest.

To mark the anniversary, the club auctioned a memorial sculpture of the two players, etched with their signatures.

And Bruce snapped it for pounds 925.

The money will be split between the Boys' Club, the Hillsborough Families Support Group and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. The club commissioned former Wallsend player and Killingworth-based artist Craig Colquhoun to create the memorial sculpture.

Speaking about his experience at Hillsborough, Peter Beardsley said: "The families of the 96 people who lost their lives were amazing from day one.

"They almost felt sorry for us and what we had to experience.

"You remember the Liverpool team as a great team but when tragedy comes around you never forget the people involved."

Beardsley, who now coaches young players at the Newcastle Academy, has always supported Wallsend Boys' Club, where he began his footballing career. He said: "I came through the system.

"I'm one of the local professionals who made it.

"To be part of such a special boys' club is something that will be with me forever. "They gave me a great opportunity. The more they can do it for boys of the future the better."

Beardsley also held a Q&A session along with Alan Shearer at the dinner.

Wallsend Boys' Club chairman Steve Dale said he felt it was important to remember Hillsborough 20 years on.

"It is poignant that we had a player on each side on the day," he said.

More than 550 guests attended the dinner, which was held at the Lancastrian Suite, in Dunston, Gateshead.

The event raised around pounds 15,000 to support the Wallsend Boys' Club.

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Peter Beardsley

CAPTION(S):

MODEL BEHAVIOUR: Left, Peter Beardsley, Craig Colquhoun and Steve Dale of Wallsend Boys club and, right, Peter with the two glass sculptures