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It is Birmingham's very own Band Aid – a claret and blues single by Aston Villa legends Stiliyan Petrov and James Milner.

Throw into the Merry Christmas mix Black Sabbath heavy metal hero Tony Iommi, Britain’s Got Talent stars The Neales and Birmingham Community Gospel Choir – dubbed the BBC’s gospel choir of the year – and you have all the ingredients for a seasonal smash.

Christmas Way by 19 & 7 – that’s Petrov and Milner’s shirt numbers – will raise funds for the NSPCC, Help for Heroes and blood cancer charity Bloodwise.

Both Petrov and Iommi have battled leukaemia.

The tinsel track is the brainchild of Solihull songwriter and studio designer Glenn MacDonald and Petrov’s agent, Ed Harris.

It was penned by Glenn, recorded at Gospel Oak Studio, Lapworth, and released on Friday.

Former Villa captain and Bulgarian international Petrov – affectionately known as “Stan” by fans – is pleased as Christmas punch with the end result.

“Everybody has worked so hard on this,” says the 36-year-old. “It’s brilliant what they have achieved in such a short time.

“I really hope people support us and download the song.”

In all, performers spent two weeks laying down the track.

Glenn, who has built studios for guitar star Iommi and Judas Priest’s Glenn Tipton, said: “Footballers get so much stick for their exclusive lifestyles, but people don’t see the good work many of them do behind the scenes.

“I like to stay in the background, I’ve never craved the limelight. I like projects with integrity attached to them.”

The two former Aston Villa stars – Milner currently plays for Liverpool – don’t take lead vocals, but have been involved in the project every step of the way.

The pair even manned the mixing desk.

Iommi’s role is one of ambassador for the track.

“I played it to Tony,” laughed Glenn. “Bear in mind I’m with the dark lord of heavy rock, and he said ‘That sounds like Christmas’.”

The end product is a true triumph for community spirit.

Local singer Bethan Wyn-Davies sings a verse, so does RAF serviceman Jonny Marenghi, who has served in Afghanistan.

Jewellery Quarter film-makers Vermillion filmed the accompanying video for free in and around Solihull.

For the singing Neales the single caps an unbelievable year that included helping to switch on Blackpool illuminations and staging their own show at Birmingham Town Hall.

Dad Laurie said: “We love the song, we think it’s fantastic. It’s our first single. They wanted that family feel and I think we brought that to the song. It would be ironic if it climbed up the charts and we were vying with the X Factor single for top spot.”

Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany, who play for Milner’s former club, Manchester City, have both publicly endorsed Christmas Way in internet videos.

Glenn described his inspiration for the Christmas cracker.

“I sat down with a blank piece of paper and my guitar,” he said. “Two weeks later, I had a demo to send to Stiliyan and James.

“They came back with positive feedback, so we set about finding our performers.

“First on board were Solihull-based The Neales, the father and sons act that reached the final of Britain’s Got Talent earlier in the year. That was the chorus sorted. Now I needed two powerful verse singers and a choir.

“The next ‘wow’ moment came in the surroundings of the beautiful Aston Parish church. I’d gone there, on a cold November night, to meet the Birmingham Community Gospel Choir, who had recently won the Songs of Praise 2015 BBC Choir of the year.

“They are such talented humble people. I plugged my iPhone in, they started singing along and I was blown away.”

* Christmas Way by 19 & 7 was released on Friday. To see the video and stand a chance of winning an England kit, donated to the cause by Joe Hart, go to www.facebook.com/ChristmasWay