Football legend headbutts referee as Arsenal, Spurs and Leeds United stars assemble in surprise tournament

Former Arsenal and Chelsea stars donned their boots once again to surprise Birmingham crowds with a surprise appearance at a five-a-side tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Members of the famous 2003/04 Gunners Invincibles team Lauren and Jeremie Aliadiere joined former Gooner defender William Gallas at the Ladbrokes Players Cup final.

Lauren and Aliadiere made a combined 42 league appearances in a famous year that saw Arsene Wenger lead his side to a Premier League trophy without losing a single match in the process. Gallas was on the books at the Emirates Stadium between 2006 and 2010, making over 100 appearances for the side, after a long spell at Chelsea and before joining bitter North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Clinton Morrison made the fourth and final outfield player in the five-a-side team. Morrison, of course, famed for his talismanic time at Crystal Palace and Coventry City in the late noughties.

In between the sticks was Sheffield United and Leeds United legend Paddy Kenny. The goalkeeper enjoyed the most successful spell of his career under Neil Warnock at Bramall Lane playing in in League Cup and FA Cup semi-finals, two play-off finals, and then promotion to the Premier League in 2005–06.

The five former professionals united to take on Ladbrokes Players Cup winners Slough Scorpionz, who had just won a huge £20,000 for seeing off the 16-team field of regional winners from London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow.

Event organisers but on a 'Boss Level' match with the Scoprionz taking on the sport's legends with the chance to win an extra £8,000 in the tournament.

Despite their prestige, it was the legends who lost with the Scorpions triumphing 6-3 in a fixture which saw Clinton Morrison sensationally sent to the sin-bin for a tongue-in-cheek 'headbutt' on the referee.

Speaking after the game, Morrison said: "Morrison said: “You could always see why the Scorpionz looked like they were going to win, they started like a house on fire. That said I was always going to go easy on them and still love putting my boots on.”

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes added: "Our five-a-side sensations have proven they can mix it with the best with a convincing win against a handful of Invincibles, Premier League legends and freestyle stars, to the tune of a record-breaking cash prize at a Powerleague tournament."

"Super-subs, sin-bins and surprise appearances; the inaugural Ladbrokes Players Cup has seen it all. The standard of football over the last few months has been nothing short of exceptional and we can't wait to see Slough Scorpionz defend their crown next year."