FORGET England against Germany, there’s one football grudge match you have to support on Sunday.

Shin pads and plasters will definitely be required when Middleham stable staff and jockeys take on their Thirsk and Malton counterparts on the town’s sports field at 1pm, but it’s the wider cause at stake which makes this match so important.

It’s one of the first events organised by Alec Dent, the new UK volunteer co-ordinator for Racing Welfare.

The charity, which supports the 25,000 people working in the industry and more than 14,000 retired stable, stud staff and dependents, leapt into the consciousness with their magnificent fundraising effort following the tragic deaths of Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson in a flat fire in Norton last September.

They raised more than £110,000 – cash which is being ploughed into a number of schemes including providing somewhere to live for young apprentice jockeys.

But for Racing Welfare that was just the beginning.

Like any charities, they need volunteers and Dent, who has spent the majority of his 50 years working in and around racing, has been appointed to bring them in.

“My role is to recruit volunteers and train them appropriately – either for welfare or fundraising and form committees in each region to do that,” he said.

“I will be doing this throughout the UK, but because I am based here we have piloted it in Middleham and are starting the events here. Once they are up and running, I will move on to another area.”

He has lived in Middleham since 1994 but Dent will be a familiar name to anyone steeped in the thoroughbred pursuit.

His career has taken him from point-to-points to a seven-year spell as assistant trainer to Mark Tompkins in Newmarket. He spent four years with County Durham handler Howard Johnson and worked most recently with Leyburn trainer Karl Burke until the latter was given a 12-month suspension by the British Horseracing Authority.

While Dent is confident Burke can get back on his feet when he applies for the return of his licence in August, he found the chance to work with Racing Welfare hard to resist.

“I stayed there (with Burke) for a while but, as horses dwindled, there wasn’t really a position suitable,” he added. “There was a temptation (to stay) but Karl wasn’t around a lot and couldn’t be involved in the yard.

“The horses dwindled to something like 30. It was really beginning to take off before that and it was a great shame. The highlight of my time at Karl’s was Lesson In Humility.

“I took her racing everywhere that she went – when she won at Leopardstown, when she was third in France and also took her to Baden Baden. She would be my highlight. She wouldn’t be the best. Obviously Lord Shanakill was the best, but she wouldn’t be far behind him and she was a good genuine filly.”

The switch from yard to office work at Racing Welfare might come as a bit of change to some, but Dent believes he will find familiar ground in his new role.

He added: “It is a bit of a change, but it is very much a management role and – being an assistant trainer or a head lad to a big yard – it is very much about man-management.

“It’s similar in that respect and in dealing with staff. At Howard’s we had 45 staff and I did more management than looking after horses.

“I’m still in the industry and the role will still allow me to be involved in going racing and round the local yards and riding out if I want to. I think I can still mix it a little bit.

“It’s an important job and a big step forward for Racing Welfare. We are organising several events. There’s a football match on Sunday at Middleham in memory of Jan Wilson. We have a charity golf day coming up and a summer ball at York Racecourse in August.”

The volunteer push gets its official launch at Pontefract on Monday when people can become a “Friend of Racing Welfare” and volunteer to support the injured, elderly and disabled, help to organise social and sports events and even accompany groups on holiday outings.

Volunteers will all receive training and support to develop their skills and Dent believes the scheme is going to be a big success in getting more people involved.

“We need to get more volunteers,” he said. “Once it’s launched, I think people will come out to support us. I don’t think, until after the fire tragedy, that Racing Welfare was as well known in the north as it is in Newmarket.

“That’s probably one of the main reasons I got the job, because I am from the north and can promote the charity in the north.

“It’s a new role and it’s going to be difficult to know what to expect. I would expect, though, by next June to have committees in all our six regions – to have enough volunteers to form committees to support the welfare officer – and fundraise.

“It’s a very important charity for the racing industry. There won’t be many industries that have a charity that supports them in the way this one does.”

For more information about becoming a welfare or fundraising volunteer, telephone Dent on 01677 450901.