Iron Maiden founder Steve Harris is renowned for his love of football, and the risk of injury doesn't stop the bassist from playing football whenever he can, even when the band are on tour. When Maiden were promoting their Virtual XI album in 1998, they hosted a series of football matches with fans and journalists.
Last week, ahead of Maiden's show at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, West Ham United fan Harris stepped onto the pitch to play in a charity game in the colours of local side Stirling Macedonia.
"At 7:00 PM, the magic begins as the legendary Steve Harris of Iron Maiden steps onto the field with the Groupies XI, delivering a performance like you’ve never seen before," wrote the club on social media. "Under the lights of The Fortress, Harris will show a different side of his legendary talent, trading the stage for the pitch in what promises to be an extraordinary spectacle."
Harris did just that, scoring two goals and raising much-needed funds for DT38, a foundation set up in the name of Dylan Tombides, a Perth-born footballer who was on the books of both Stirling Macedonia and West Ham. Tombide's life was taken by testicular cancer at the age of 20 in 2014, less than two years after making his first team debut for the Hammers.
Local news cameras were on hand to film the action, capturing one of Harris's goals and interviewing him after the game.
“I just love playing football, any chance I get," the 68-year-old Harris told 9 News. “I’m not as quick as I was, of course. At my age, definitely not, so I dropped back to left-mid."
The next Iron Maiden show on the Australian leg of their current Future Past Tour is at the Entertainment Centre in Adelaide tomorrow night (September 4). A date in New Zealand follows, before the band head north for a run of shows in Japan prior to crossing the Pacific for performances in North and South America. Full dates below.
Iron Maiden: The Future Past Tour 2024
Sep 04: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Australia
Sep 06: Melbourne Rod Laver Arena, Australia
Sep 07: Melbourne Rod Laver Arena, Australia
Sep 10: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Australia
Sep 12: Sydney Qudos Bank Arena, Australia
Sep 13: Sydney Qudos Bank Arena, Australia
Sep 16: Auckland Spark Arena, New Zealand
Sep 22: Aichi Sky Hall, Japan
Sep 24: Osaka-Jo Hall, Japan
Sep 26: Tokyo Garden Theater, Japan
Sep 28: Kanagawa Pia Arena, Japan
Oct 04: San Diego North Island Credit Union Ampitheatre, CA
Oct 05: Las Vegas Michelob Ultra Arena, NV
Oct 08: Los Angeles Kia Forum, CA
Oct 12: Sacramento Aftershock Festival, CA
Oct 14: Portland Moda Center, OR
Oct 16: Tacoma Dome, WA
Oct 18: Salt Lake City Delta Center, UT
Oct 19: Denver Ball Arena, CO
Oct 22: St Paul Xcel Energy Center, MN
Oct 24: Rosemont Allstate Arena, IL
Oct 26: Toronto Scotiabank Arena, ON
Oct 27: Quebec Videotron Arena, QC
Oct 30: Montreal Centre Bell, QC
Nov 01: Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center, PA
Nov 02: Brooklyn Barclays Center, NY
Nov 06: Worcester DCU Center, MA
Nov 08: Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena, PA
Nov 09: Newark Prudential Center, NJ
Nov 12: Baltimore CFG Bank Arena, MD
Nov 13: Charlotte Spectrum Center, NC
Nov 16: Fort Worth Dickies Arena, TX
Nov 17: San Antonio Frost Bank Center, TX
Nov 20: Mexico City Foro Sol, Mexico
Nov 24: Bogota Colombia El Campin Stadium, Colombia
Nov 27: Santiago Chile Estadio Nacional, Chile
Nov 28: Santiago Chile Estadio Nacional, Chile
Dec 01: Buenos Aires Estadio Huracán, Argentina
Dec 02: Buenos Aires Estadio Huracán, Argentina
