FORMER Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer is heading to Hartlepool in October for a special event.

The "Evening with" dinner event is one of several taking place ahead of a charity fixture, when the Newcastle Legends take on Manchester Select, almost 20 years to the day since the Magpies' famous 5-0 thrashing of Manchester United.

Shearer, who won the premier league title with Blackburn Rovers before joining Newcastle in a then record-breaking £15m deal, will manage the Legends team at Newcastle Falcons' Kingston Park ground, in aid of his foundation on October 9. Former Newcastle and Manchester United winger Keith Gillespie will manage the Manchester team.

Shearer said: "My knees and ankles are shot so I won’t be a player-manager. I’ll just be in the dug-out, although they might wheel me out to do the kick-off or take a penalty. Les Ferdinand will be my assistant manager and we are on with pulling together the squad.

"It should be a great occasion which the public will get behind, and it is all for a fantastic cause with the work that the foundation does."

His dinner event at Hartlepool's town hall is just three days ahead of the charity match, and will also feature former Newcastle and Hartlepool player Joe Allon.

The Alan Shearer Foundation raises money for the Alan Shearer centre in Newcastle, a specialist disability, respite, residential and social provision for people with complex disabilities.

Tickets for the Evening With event, on October 6 from 7.30pm, are available now from www.newcastlelegends.com or 0191-229-9632 and are £50 standard, £90 advanced and £150 VIP.

Tickets for the charity match are £10 with junior tickets from £5 and are available on 0871-226-6060, or for hospitality packages call 0191-214-2892.