STARS from the worlds of football and entertainment, and more than 100 friends and family, have honoured one of Swindon's biggest little men.
Disabled Ian Rigby, who stands just four-and-a-half feet tall, has the use of only one lung and a faulty heart, was left "gobsmacked" by a surprise birthday party in his honour at Swindon Town Football Club on Saturday.
Ian, who was celebrating his 30th birthday, opened the doors of the Winners Lounge at the football club to find 130 friends waiting to celebrate with him.
They included Swindon mayor David Cox, Perry Hunt, a school friend who Ian had not seen since he was 12-years-old, and friends, staff and teachers from his days at Burton Hill School at Malmesbury.
But for football-mad Ian, one of the biggest thrills was receiving signed cards from Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and players at Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Swindon Town also forgave Ian, of Canney Close, Chiseldon, for cheering for the opposing team at his only trip to a town match, and sent a card too.
Ian's mum, Pam Rigby, said her son was overwhelmed by the surprise party, and by the number of people who were waiting for him in the Winners Lounge.
"He walked in the door and he was just gobsmacked by all the people that were there," she said.
"He took a while to come round from the shock, but he thoroughly enjoyed it.
"He's got a pile of presents and 65 birthday cards here I've got a table that's four feet wide, and it's just covered in cards."
Among the showbiz stars who sent their best wishes were the Barron Knights, who Ian had gone to see at the Arts Centre a few days earlier, plus comic Jack Dee, and singers Chas and Dave.
Pam said the party resembled a This Is Your Life celebration of Ian's life to date, and said he deserved to celebrate, having weathered so many physical problems.
"He's got a blocked valve in his heart, and because of the curvature of his spine, he's only got one lung that works properly but apart from that, he's all right," she said.
"He's a happy little thing, especially when he's watching football."
Ian leads a full life, attending the One Step Ahead workshop for the disabled, and taking lead roles in plays by Reach, the Wyvern Theatre-based drama group for the disabled.
And despite weighing just five stones, he fancies himself as something of a ladies' man, saying he particularly enjoyed being kissed by scores of women at the party.
"I thought it was the Ian Rigby fan club," he said.
"I'm better looking than Robbie Williams, really."
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