Actress Ellie Bamber has been seen filming in East London for her upcoming movie, "Half Time Hero," which dramatizes an unusual event in football history. The film tells the story of Steve Davies, a devoted West Ham fan who was pulled from the stands onto the pitch and scored a goal for his beloved club.
Bamber, 29, was photographed on set alongside actor Anson Boon, 26, who is portraying Davies. The actress, dressed in a floral top, denim shorts, fishnet tights, and Doc Marten boots, was seen with Boon, who draped a West Ham scarf around her shoulders. Bamber recently attended Wimbledon with her boyfriend, Oliver Overgaard Reichhardt.
The remarkable true story behind "Half Time Hero" centers on a pre-season friendly match in 1994 between West Ham and Oxford City. Davies, then 27 and working as a courier, was positioned near the West Ham dugout at Upton Park, reportedly directing criticism at striker Lee Chapman. The team's then-assistant manager, Harry Redknapp, overheard Davies and, in a surprising turn, offered him the chance to play.
Redknapp is quoted as having asked Davies if he could play as well as he talked, before offering him the opportunity to take Chapman's place at halftime. Davies then donned the West Ham strip and entered the match. He went on to score a goal during West Ham's 4-0 victory. Redknapp later described Davies to reporters as a "tattooed skinhead" who had been giving Chapman "terrible stick." Davies himself called the experience "the greatest moment in my life," admitting to having smoked and consumed beverages during the first half of the match due to his then-habit of smoking 30 cigarettes a day.