“It’s never a hardship to come back to Carlisle,” says Mick Wadsworth. The city’s football public feels the same about embracing one of the Blues’ most successful managers – and so he is returning once more, next month, for another event with special meaning.

A couple of months after Wadsworth and his boys of 1994/5 gathered in Carlisle to raise thousands in memory of Tony Hopper, the former director of coaching will be back on stage, this time at the Old Fire Station.

He will have company again, in the shape of Stuart Roy Clarke, whose Homes Of Football photography has chronicled the game for decades. The two men will talk to an audience about their diverse and shared football experiences.

Nick Barnes, the former BBC Radio Cumbria commentator who described Wadsworth’s nineties at United (and who also presided over October’s reunion) will again be in charge on stage. Crucially, again, the night will benefit Eden Valley Hospice, in memory of the much-missed, affectionately-remembered Tony Hopper.

News and Star: Fans try to get a view through the fence at Barnsley's Oakwell. Photo by Stuart Roy ClarkeFans try to get a view through the fence at Barnsley's Oakwell. Photo by Stuart Roy Clarke

“It’ll almost be like Three Men In A Boat,” jokes Clarke. “We’re all past 50. We’ve all seen things. We’ve all seen a lot.”

Wadsworth will open the night with reminiscences and anecdotes from a varied career of which Carlisle, from 1994-6, was a glorious part. The 71-year-old is in the process of completing his autobiography, with the help of Sheffield Star journalist James Shield, which will help frame tales from sources such as Newcastle United, at Sir Bobby Robson’s side, and Africa, where the Yorkshireman coached the Democratic Republic of Congo.

News and Star: Stuart Roy Clarke's photo of Mick Wadsworth pictured during the construction of the East Stand at Carlisle United in 1995Stuart Roy Clarke's photo of Mick Wadsworth pictured during the construction of the East Stand at Carlisle United in 1995

Clarke will follow him, and take the audience on a “mazy dribble” through more than 30 years of capturing the life and atmosphere of football, from park level to World Cups, through his lens.

A question-and-answer session will follow and the challenge, you suspect, will be condensing everything into a single evening.

Wadsworth speaks with undying warmth about the city that supplied some of his best footballing times – and to which he inspired magnificent memories himself, as the leader of the “deckchair army” that won the Division Three championship and reached Wembley for the first time in the club’s history.

News and Star: Stuart Roy Clarke's image of fans greeting United's 1995 heroes on an open-topped bus tour of CarlisleStuart Roy Clarke's image of fans greeting United's 1995 heroes on an open-topped bus tour of Carlisle

“Carlisle is so special in my professional life, and I’ve got so many friends there,” he says. “Any excuse to come back, I take it. If I can double up on this occasion with helping make some money for the hospice, that’s more important than anything else.

“To get money to that wonderful place is so important for the area. They’ve had a tough time of late, like so many charities have. The link we have, because of Tony, is something that’s important to a lot of his colleagues, friends and a lot of people who were at the club at that time.”

News and Star: Stuart Roy Clarke's photo of Botchergate in Carlisle during Euro 2021Stuart Roy Clarke's photo of Botchergate in Carlisle during Euro 2021

Wadsworth is looking forward to dovetailing his own yarns with those of Clarke, who was very much present during those golden 90s times at United.

News and Star: Photographer Stuart Roy ClarkePhotographer Stuart Roy Clarke

“He’ll be doing a bit, I’ll be doing a bit, we’ll do a bit together, he’s throwing in some music, some film footage in the background. It’ll be an interesting evening. No doubt we’ll have some fun as well. Some funny stories will come out of it for sure.

“On the image and visual front, Stuart’s catalogued it all. Some of the images he took were pretty special over that period. He’s had a highly successful career since then on different levels. He’s at the top of his game. It’ll be very interesting for the punters to listen to Stuart and see what a journey he’s had.”

News and Star: Stuart Roy Clarke has photographed football at all levels of the game, in Cumbria and further afieldStuart Roy Clarke has photographed football at all levels of the game, in Cumbria and further afield

Wadsworth and Clarke joined forces at the Harraby Catholic Club event in October in unique fashion. The former United boss rediscovered a love for art during the Covid lockdowns and his drawings of a matchday at Brunton Park were auctioned along with Clarke’s iconic books of photography. A small auction will be held at next month’s event too.

News and Star: A young mum in full Liverpool kit. Photo by Stuart Roy ClarkeA young mum in full Liverpool kit. Photo by Stuart Roy Clarke

Clarke says he has taken a meandering journey “through all levels of football and the whole geography of the FA”, adding: “The epicentre of all that I’ve done was not really so much in Hertfordshire, where I grew up, but from various places in remote Cumbria.”

News and Star: Stuart Roy Clarke's photo of Newcastle fans at West Brom in 1990Stuart Roy Clarke's photo of Newcastle fans at West Brom in 1990

This included, for many years, a Homes of Football museum in Ambleside – and Clarke appearing beyond the white lines of a great many pitches, whether remote and picturesque, or elite-level and packed; whether commissioned by a range of football bodies, or simply as an “independent eye”.

“Almost Sunday League levels feature, as do Westmorland League teams, alongside the great Uniteds, be they Sheffield United, Manchester United – or Carlisle United,” he says. “On top of all that, I’ve done a lot with the England teams through the years, all the big tournaments, World Cups, the lot. Driving to Russia in 2018, for example…there’s a lot to present in the space of one evening.”

News and Star: Sunderland fans at Roker Park in 1996 (photo by Stuart Roy Clarke)Sunderland fans at Roker Park in 1996 (photo by Stuart Roy Clarke)

The photographer will present some of his most iconic shots as he speaks to the audience – and will bounce his stories off those of Wadsworth. “Mick’s entertaining,” Clarke says. “He’s got almost perfect comic timing. I don’t know where he gets it from. He sometimes tries to be a grumpy old man but then he throws you. He has this knack of keeping you on your toes.

News and Star: Nick Barnes, front, pictured commentating with ex-Sunderland and Carlisle player Gary Bennett, will join Wa Wadsworth and Stuart Roy Clarke at next month's event in CarlisleNick Barnes, front, pictured commentating with ex-Sunderland and Carlisle player Gary Bennett, will join Wa Wadsworth and Stuart Roy Clarke at next month's event in Carlisle

“It will be a double act with Nick in the middle – in the nicest way, he’s the straight guy, the perfect foil for us to do whatever we do. All three of us, in our lives, came to Cumbria and made it, for a time, our number one place.

“There’s no place that makes me feel more at home than good old Cumbria. And the fact any money that’s made will go to Eden Valley Hospice makes that all the more special.”

News and Star: Stuart Roy Clarke's photo of Wolves fansStuart Roy Clarke's photo of Wolves fans

An Evening With Mick Wadsworth and Stuart Roy Clarke is on Wednesday, December 8 from 7pm-10.30pm. Tickets are £12.50 and are available at https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Carlisle/Old-Fire-Station/An-Evening-with-Mick-Wadsworth/35937266/