WHEN two Macclesfield rugby players found themselves stranded as they tried to get to Twickenham they found a fairytale solution as in stepped a millionaire godfather who ensured they would go to the "ball" game.

The pair were on a lads' day out for England's game against South Africa and found themselves without a flight after their aircraft broke down as it tried to take off.

Their fairy godfather not only found them seats on another flight he also paid for them, gave them a lift in a chauffeured car from Gatwick to Twickenham and even arranged for them to share his chauffeur-driven car back from London when they couldn't get a return flight.

Rick Jones, 33, Macclesfield's club captain and his friend reserve team player Tony Amos, also 33, were due to catch a BMI Baby flight to Heathrow early on Saturday morning.

Rick said: "The plane was full and was taking off when one of the engines blew. It shuddered across the runway but no-one was hurt and then we all went back to the terminal.

"We met this bloke from Warrington. He had missed his flight and he asked us if we wanted to join him. He knew someone at the airport and he got us onto a flight to Gatwick. He paid the difference.

"We went with him in a car to Twickenham because he was meeting a group of people from South Africa and he had all the tickets."

They landed at Gatwick in time to get to the ground just over an hour before kick off and Rick and Tony even had time for a couple of pints before kick-off and cheering England to a 32-16 victory.

"We split up at the ground but we met him later and when there was no flight on the way home he called for a chauffeur driven car and took us all the way back to Macclesfield.

"He was a really great guy and we are going to invite him to the club for our last game before Christmas to say thanks and have a meal."

The good Samaritan was millionaire shop owner John Jones, a rugby fan from Warrington who operates 86 Spar shops across Cheshire and Manchester.

He said: "The guys were stuck and rugby people stick together," he said. "I have been helped several times in the past.

"I had 14 tickets for people I was meeting in London and some had come from South Africa for the game and would not have been very happy if I had not made it."

John, who sponsors several school and youth teams, said: "I would have hired a helicopter to come back but my wife banned me after I did it before and I was dropped off at a deserted airfield at night. I tried to get out by climbing a tree over the fence and fell into the razor wire. When I got home she thought I had been in an accident.

"I would really enjoy a night out at Macclesfield Rugby Club - rugby people are really great."