Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Sunderland AFC – Cecil Irwin

Yes, I know we all hate Facebook but if we are honest, we love it too! Yesterday was a loving day as I had the pleasure of “meeting” the grandson-in-law of one of Sunderland’s Legends, Cecil Irwin, in a football group. As often happens, the conversation develops and we learn that Cecil is not enjoying the best of health …. and that it’s his birthday soon.

Ben said, “Hi folks, bit of a long shot here but does anyone have any magazines, articles, memorabilia etc pertaining to Cecil Irwin who played for Sunderland in the 50’s & 60’s. Cecil is my wife’s grandad and is suffering a bit with dementia and other ailments, however loves to see and talk about things from his playing days. He has no problem remembering those days, so trying to get as much as I can for him.”

I have dug a few bits out and they are winging their way to Cecil as we speak. There were an impressive 74 comments, messages of support and a massive number of fond memories. The power of Facebook!

In the meantime, I called David Blight, my great friend and 60 year fan of Sunderland who said, “All I remember about Cec Irwin is the promotion team that he was part off in the early 60’s that remains imprinted on my mind… Montgomery…Irwin, Ashurst… Harvey, Hurley, McNab… Mulhall, Herd, Sharkey, Crosson, Usher I may have got which side the wingers were on mixed up – Mulhall and Usher; right or left – otherwise… to me, Cec Irwin was the biggest, baldest, full back in the league! Until Dick Malone came alone that is.” David kindly did a Sunderland overview recently….. here I have fond memories of Sunderland from the days of my cycling tour. It was indeed the first stadium I visited after the road “accident.”

Wikipedia does not offer too much but David did find a these fascinating articles “A Love Supreme” and “Northern Echo” (John Charles – who?)

11v 11 yielded this for the 63/64 season. The programme is for the last match of the season. Promotion was already assured as the Black Cats had wrapped it up with a home win over Charlton Athletic the previous week although Cec missed that match but he did start in 39 of the 42 games.

League Division Two table at close of 1963-64 season

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAvg	GD	Pts
1	Leeds United	42	24	15	3	71	34	2.088	37	63
2	Sunderland	42	25	11	6	81	37	2.189	44	61
3	Preston North End	42	23	10	9	79	54	1.463	25	56
4	Charlton Athletic	42	19	10	13	76	70	1.086	6	48
5	Southampton	42	19	9	14	100	73	1.370	27	47
6	Manchester City	42	18	10	14	84	66	1.273	18	46
7	Rotherham United	42	19	7	16	90	78	1.154	12	45
8	Newcastle United	42	20	5	17	74	69	1.072	5	45
9	Portsmouth	42	16	11	15	79	70	1.129	9	43
10	Middlesbrough	42	15	11	16	67	52	1.288	15	41
11	Northampton Town	42	16	9	17	58	60	0.967	-2	41
12	Huddersfield Town	42	15	10	17	57	64	0.891	-7	40
13	Derby County	42	14	11	17	56	67	0.836	-11	39
14	Swindon Town	42	14	10	18	57	69	0.826	-12	38
15	Cardiff City	42	14	10	18	56	81	0.691	-25	38
16	Leyton Orient	42	13	10	19	54	72	0.750	-18	36
17	Norwich City	42	11	13	18	64	80	0.800	-16	35
18	Bury	42	13	9	20	57	73	0.781	-16	35
19	Swansea Town	42	12	9	21	63	74	0.851	-11	33
20	Plymouth Argyle	42	8	16	18	45	67	0.672	-22	32
21	Grimsby Town	42	9	14	19	47	75	0.627	-28	32
22	Scunthorpe United	42	10	10	22	52	82	0.634	-30	30

26 Dec 1963	Leeds United v Sunderland	D	1-1	League Division Two
28 Dec 1963	Sunderland v Leeds United	W	2-0	League Division Two
04 Jan 1964	Sunderland v Northampton Town	W	2-0	FA Cup
11 Jan 1964	Sunderland v Bury	W	4-1	League Division Two
18 Jan 1964	Manchester City v Sunderland	W	0-3	League Division Two
25 Jan 1964	Sunderland v Bristol City	W	6-1	FA Cup
01 Feb 1964	Sunderland v Swindon Town	W	6-0	League Division Two
08 Feb 1964	Cardiff City v Sunderland	W	0-2	League Division Two
15 Feb 1964	Sunderland v Everton	W	3-1	FA Cup
19 Feb 1964	Sunderland v Norwich City	D	0-0	League Division Two
22 Feb 1964	Sunderland v Derby County	W	3-0	League Division Two
29 Feb 1964	Manchester United v Sunderland	D	3-3	FA Cup
04 Mar 1964	Sunderland v Manchester United	D	2-2	FA Cup
07 Mar 1964	Sunderland v Middlesbrough	D	0-0	League Division Two
09 Mar 1964	Manchester United v Sunderland	L	5-1	FA Cup
14 Mar 1964	Newcastle United v Sunderland	L	1-0	League Division Two
21 Mar 1964	Sunderland v Preston North End	W	4-0	League Division Two
27 Mar 1964	Sunderland v Rotherham United	W	2-0	League Division Two
30 Mar 1964	Rotherham United v Sunderland	D	2-2	League Division Two
04 Apr 1964	Sunderland v Swansea Town	W	1-0	League Division Two
06 Apr 1964	Leyton Orient v Sunderland	W	2-5	League Division Two
11 Apr 1964	Southampton v Sunderland	D	0-0	League Division Two
18 Apr 1964	Sunderland v Charlton Athletic	W	2-1	League Division Two
25 Apr 1964	Grimsby Town v Sunderland	D	2-2	League Division Two

Now that’s what I call promotion form!

A win for Grimsby would have saved them – NO mercy!

I whipped over to The Fans Museum (shouldn’t every club have one?) and the Sunderland Who’s Who book “All The Lads.” He is featured with a comprehensive bio.

A local lad, with a long career at Sunderland. Are those days gone by? A partner with Len Ashurst who later became a Gillingham manager so another link with the Priestfield men. Yesterday it was Bradley Dack Who will it be tomorrow!

Here are a couple of views of the two Sunderland stadiums of the last 60 years from Papilios Creative that hopefully will bring back happy memories.

Roker

Please remember that the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for the club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity continued their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can.

Alan Shearer and Jack Walker celebrate the Premier League Title

Aidan Wilson introduced himself to me on a Facebook group recently and explained that he was in need of some anonymous responses to a university survey. He is in his final year of university and is researching social media’s impact on football fan culture. He adds, “If anyone could spare a few minutes to answer a short survey, that would be massively appreciated.” I said I was happy to help and offered to add the link HERE

It is completely free and anonymous so I would be very grateful if you could all assist him in a very short general survey about football in 2024.

Aidan is a massive Blackburn Rovers fan but being of student age wasn’t born in the last glory years of the club. After finishing fourth in 1992–93 and runners-up in 1993–94,^[22] they went on to win the Premier League title in 1994–95 He kindly did a brief overview.


Blackburn Rovers were founded in 1875 and were one of the founding members of the football league in 1888. The East Lancashire club have won 6 FA cups, 1 League Cup, as well as 3 league titles including a famous premier league victory in 1995 under the support of superfan Jack Walker. With the investments and passion put into the club from Jack Walker along with a fantastic team that involved the great Alan Shearer, Rovers became known as the club that matched the big boys. Unfortunately, however, Jack Walkers passing and new ownership has led to many challenges on and off the pitch. Since Venky’s bought the club in 2010, the club has experienced some difficult years, including a relegation to the championship in 2012, and a further relegation to league one in 2017. But despite bouncing back to the championship in the first season down, Rovers have never been able to kick on and record a top 6 finish, even when it seemed almost impossible to throw a playoff potion away. Today, the club finds itself looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone again, and with new financial restrictions on the club’s Indian owners, Venky’s, the future for now looks rather uncertain for a once proud football club.

Alan Shearer – forever adored in East Lancashire

Reproduced with kind permission of Gillingham Legends. Do you want a Bradley Christmas Card?

Whilst Aidan might not have been there “that day” he does remember one of my great heroes, a certain Bradley Dack who was/is a TRUE legend at Gillingham. Bradley is without doubt one of my very favourite players of all times and I was broken when he was sold to Blackburn Rovers. I even went to West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers in the cup last season just to see him …. and he did not disappoint! Since then he has moved on again and is currently at Sunderland in the Championship although it has not been an altogether happy time there. He’s always welcome back at the Priestfield ….preferably in our colours!

Gillingham Legends – who would you add? Check with Gillingham Legends

So, a couple of quick reminders. Please complete Aidan’s short university survey. Please also remember that the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for the club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity continued their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can.

You had one job, Darren.

Here we are again. It’s Sunday. Non-League Day has come and gone and by all accounts was once again a success and Darren Ashley’s Vlog hits my inbox. I know that a lot of you also enjoy Darren’s trips to the Non-League grounds and I am delighted that he has once again allowed me to share it. The absolute highlight of the vlog is, of course, the karma. Some will remember that his friend Thunder failed miserably recently when Darren gave him a fairly simple task. Well, the boot is on the other foot, today as it were. Read on!

Gavin Hurren (l) and Darren

” Non League Day 2024…..as soon as they said they would love to have my mate Thunder & myself back, I just HAD to return to Stratford Town FC, to vlog their home match v Long Eaton United.

We had previously been there in mid January, where we were treated brilliantly, and had seen a thriller v Barwell FC.

It was almost a déjà vu day, again, we were treated brilliantly, and, again, we saw a thriller…this time though, against different opponents.

I was keen to arrive at the ground nice and early, for two reasons in particular…1, I always always struggle with the opening on the vlogs, and need to record it quickly to get it over with, and 2, we would be probably be chatting for quite a bit to people we had met before.

So, we arrive at, as Thunder moaned, the ridiculously early time of 12.45

First person we bumped into, was chairman Jed McCrory We chatted for quite a while about everything from personal life stuff, plans for the football club and his opinion on this new regulator coming into football. I have to say, after hearing his thoughts on that, I would be quite keen to do an in depth interview on that subject, as I was taken aback on his thoughts on how it affects step two and lower clubs.

After catching up with many more familiar faces, it was time to do some more filming before taking our seats for kick off. Now, when I decide where best to sit, I tend to take in factors such as the position of the sun and, the end where I think there would be more action. I got this right in the first half, but let me tell you, it was soooo bloody cold with a really strong wind, I was struggling a bit with the recording.

At half time we went inside to warm up a bit….but, early into the second half, I was soon cold again and my fingers started to numb……so, that is my excuse for missing recording a vital goal in the 2nd half.

95 mins then, and the game comes to an end, and, like I said above, we witnessed a thriller.

As you know in these mini reports, I won’t mention the outcome of the match as I would like you to watch the vlog, which you can find here. You can also see all my previous vlogs including my previous visit to the stadium.


Back inside then to wrap up the filming, with more links and an interview. Once that was done, Thunder and I hung around for a while longer, talking to players, staff and fans about the club and match. Honestly, there is such a feel good factor about the place that it’s really hard not to be drawn into having a connection with “The Bards”…..in fact, I for one will now always be a bit of a fan from afar.

Time to leave the Arden Garages Stadium, where, once again, Thunder and I were reflecting on the journey home at what a brilliant place we have just visited again, and, if Stratford make the play offs, manager Gavin Hurren ( pictured above) has invited us back….and we have video evidence of that offer!!!!!

Thanks for reading. Until next time, Darren.”

Fantastic, Darren, although it would have been fantastic to see the missing goal. Perhaps you had better leave it to Thunder next time. I know my readers are enjoying your vlogs. I know I am. So, dear readers, please shoot over to see the vlog and try to imagine the goal that Darren inexplicably failed to capture for posterity. Don’t worry, Darren, we all make mistakes. It did not do the great Chris Kamara any harm, did it? Don’t recall the famous Fratton Park “miss?” Here it is

So, please remember the purpose of this 90 day challenge is to raise funds for the club and an equal amount for Prostate Cancer. As always, I HOPE you are all enjoying the tour of the UK and that you will consider a donation to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity continued their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can.

Non-League Day

Yes, it’s Saturday tomorrow and a very special Saturday. We have an international break and James Doe’s seed of an idea has flowered and grown into Non-League Day 2024.

I will be at FC Deportivo Galicia v Oxhey Jets and as we scored seven last time we were at home, I sense goals again tomorrow. Where will you be?

In the evening England take on Brazil at Wembley but it’s all got a bit crazy this week. Nike have decided on a “playful update” on the St George’s Flag on back of the England shirt. It has not gone down well with the PM, the PM in waiting, fans and the FA all wading in.

This is what everybody expects.

This is what Nike have presented

The FA respond to calls from fans to scrap the new England kit over Nike’s ‘playful update’ with the St Georges cross.

The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, warned about against tampering with national flags following Nike’s alteration of the St George’s Cross colour on England’s new shirt. Sunak says kit manufacturers “should not mess” with the St George’s Cross as he waded into a row over the new England shirt

The unveiling of England’s Euro 2024 kits this week features a white home kit and a purple away strip., but the row came when Nike announced the modification of the iconic red cross to include purple and blue stripes.

Nike referred to it as “a playful update” to the shirt for Euro 2024, drawing inspiration from the training kit worn by England’s 1966 World Cup champions.

Keir Starmer somewhat surprisingly made a powerful speech condemning the “update” whilst fans have started a petition in disgust. The Labour leader joins calls to replace the “playful update” of the St George cross on the back of the new England football kit with the original, after Nike switched it from its usual red and white to a red, purple, blue and black cross, ahead of the Euro 2024 tournament in June. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also called on Nike to “reconsider” its decision, as the symbol was a “unifier”.

While Labour’s shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said it was “peculiar” and pointed out people wouldn’t expect the heraldic Welsh dragon to be swapped “to a pussycat” or the French tricolour to be changed.

I wonder what the Scots would say if Adidas decided that the Flag of St Andrew would look good with yellow bananas or perhaps change the dark blue to lime green!

What do you think?

Enjoy the weekend!

A PLEA

I would like your money, just £1 of it! I am struggling to reach my initial target £500 for FC Deportivo and Prostate Cancer at £20 or £50 so this is a bit of a test/a trial if you like. I wonder how many of you would be happy to add just £1? I would be very grateful if you would consider a donation however small to support  Prostate Cancer UK  If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £5,000 and the charity would continue to fund their great work. Every single penny goes DIRECT to Prostate Cancer UK. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can donate. If you can’t you can still help massively by sharing this page about the work of Prostate Cancer. If you prefer to support FC Deportivo Galicia, their link is here Let me know that you have done that and I will be happy to pay you in on Saturday v Oxhey Jets at 3pm.


PS I could also mention that the Italian national side’s new away kit is causing some debate too. Gli Azzurri are I Bianchi with a splash of …..

Better than their previous paint-splattered effort, in my opinion!

 

So, everybody is getting ready for Non-League Day and Sunday League Day this weekend. I know some clubs like Caversham United are really going to town. Other clubs like Sutton Utd are putting on great offers. It seemed a good time to look at books about life outside the Prima Donna League (oops, sorry, Premier League!)

“I Hope You Die of Cancer”

Ok, let’s get the negativity out of the way. I abhor the book title (* see below) but perhaps that should not detract from what is a good read. It is a genuine reflection of life in the beautiful game ….. without the beautiful “bits.”

The publishers say …….

“A million miles away from the rich uplands of the Premier League lies the Poundland world of non-league football. A far grittier version of the beautiful game, it’s a glorious ragbag of former EFL clubs on the down, impoverished minnows and ambitious outfits on the make, played by a mix of full-time, part-time and amateur performers. This is the inside story of life in the lower reaches of English football, seen through the eyes of a player with over a decade’s experience in the Conference and National Leagues.

Footballer X lifts the lid on never-before-told stories of dust-ups, bust-ups, backhanders and betting scandals, the players lucky enough to get contracts and the rest who live precariously from game to game. It’s a story of constant financial struggle, big sacrifices and small victories for owners, fans and players alike. Our footballer is still playing, so the cloak of anonymity allows him to give us a true picture of what life is really like playing as a non-league footballer today.”

The author:

Footballer X, who has played for six different Conference and National clubs, collaborated with Marvin Close to tell this story. Marvin is the author, with Chuck Korr, of More Than Just A Game: Football vs Apartheid, and Hope, the life story of Hope Powell. He co-wrote and edited FIFA’s Beach Football manual. Marvin is also a drama writer for TV, radio, film and theatre.


Reviews

“A really bad choice for a title… shouldn’t obscure the brilliance of the latest in ‘The Secret’ genre, first made famous of course by The Secret Footballer. Co-writer Marvin Close enables the anonymous player to delve deep into the realities of the part-time player with a full commitment to their sport, the harsh reality of life outside the league with hope for rising thru’ the tiers in equal measure, makes for a read quite unlike most player not-exactly tells-it-alls.” –Mark Perryman, Philiosophy Football.com, ‘Books To Brighten Up A Summer of Sport’

The book is available from out friends at Stanchion

Other books you might like to look at to understand life outside Top of The Pyramid include….

Dave Roberts is perhaps a parallel to Tim Parks’ classic “A Season with Verona” which remains one of my favourite books of all times …or maybe it is another classic “The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro”

“Dave Roberts was, for once, almost lost for words as the news sank in. Perennial underachievers Bromley, in the vertigo-inducing fifth tier of English football? It was the greatest achievement in the UK club’s 130-year history. This book takes Dave the length and breadth of the land on a journey of discovery, with Bromley games thrown in.”

… or maybe Gary Thacker’s great stories of Spanish non-league football.

…. and this is a great time to remind everyone of a big fair in Chelmsford where a huge selection of books will be available. I will be doing a full review nearer the time.

* OK, this is where I am on the choice of title of the book. I personally think it is in very poor taste and my first reaction was not to spotlight it. I then decided that if it makes one person think about cancer and especially being tested then it is not a bad thing. I absolutely respect your view to be different. Which leads me on to money. I hope that you will consider a donation however small to support Prostate Cancer UK  If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and help the charity to continue their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can. If you can’t you can still help massively by sharing this page about the work of Prostate Cancer. Thanks, Steve.

Sunday League Day

Yesterday we looked at Non-League Day. Today it is the turn of Sunday League Day.

Sunday League Day is a new concept to promote Sunday League football across the UK, piggybacking on the success of Non-League Day in recent years. The overall objective is simple: to raise the profile of Sunday League football and to get people out of their houses on a Sunday morning to go and watch their local grassroots football team.

Teams usually play in public locations so it’s often free to watch, fresh air is great for physical and mental health, and clubs really value seeing spectators at their games. Getting more people interested and involved in Sunday League football will only help to grow the beautiful game in its purest form, and ultimately increase participation too.

With entry to the majority of Sunday League games free, we are keen to bring a charity element to the occasion and encourage spectators, as well as players, clubs and leagues alike, to raise money towards a good cause. For example, spectators could donate a notional “ticket price” to charity.

Another aim is to dispel some of the misconceptions of Sunday League football from a previous era. Pub teams are still a (great!) thing, and it’s good that people have an opportunity to play competitive, structured football. However, things have changed on a Sunday. The likes of Palmers, SE Dons and Hashtag United (who’ve now switched to storming up the Saturday pyramid), have brought Sunday League football to people’s attention through YouTube. Social Media has given clubs like Caversham United the opportunity to make a name for themselves outside of the local area. Sunday League is interesting to people – a purer form of the game – without VAR for a start. Another misconception is the quality of the football. The standard of the FA Sunday Cup teams would challenge the teams pushing up the Saturday pyramid.

The message to potential spectators is simple: turn up, watch some stripped back football, and enjoy! Sunday League football is way more accessible to potential spectators now, with fixtures online and a lot of clubs are on all the popular social media platforms and sharing fixture details.

Clubs can approach Sunday League Day with the freedom and creativity to mark the occasion however they want to. Sharing the #SundayLeagueDay and #SLD2024 hashtags on socials is a helpful start. Clubs should use the opportunity to try and attract spectators along, which can of course lead to many benefits as a result (more awareness, potential sponsors, etc). As an example, Reading-based side Caversham United have committed to getting involved and have suggested they will likely have a small programme available on the day and some form of refreshments (they are sponsored by a brewery…), whilst raising money for charity by “selling” tickets for a good cause.

We hope that media will engage and give SLD and its teams some coverage too! There’s been a lot of frustration with the elite game in recent years, that extends further down the pyramid too (see recently Reading’s ongoing ownership battle and #SellBeforeWeDai movement). Sunday League has an opportunity to shine, and the time is now!

We would like to encourage everyone to get involved!

If there are any volunteers out there who would like to get involved and support the #SLD2024 (and beyond) campaigns, please send @SundayLeagueDay a DM on X (formerly Twitter) or an email to sundayleagueday@outlook.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: Obviously. I would love all the teams to support @Prostate Cancer but each team/club can choose to support whoever they wish. In the meantime, I hope that you will consider a donation however small to support FC Deportivo Galicia and/or Prostate Cancer UK  If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £10,000 and life would be easier in West London whilst the charity continued their great work. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can. If you can’t you can still help massively by sharing this page about the work of Prostate Cancer. Thanks, Steve.

Saturday 23rd March 2024 is Non-League Day

Non-League Day

Non-League Day was set up by James Doe in 2010 as a social media experiment, after being inspired by a pre-season trip to Devon to watch Queens Park Rangers play at Tavistock. It has now grown to become an annual part of the football calendar, backed by Premier League and Football League clubs, MPs, celebrities, media organisations, charities and most importantly the non-league clubs themselves and the fans who turn up on the day.

Always scheduled to coincide with an international break, Non-League Day provides a platform for clubs to promote the importance of affordable volunteer-led community football while giving fans across the country the chance to show support for their local non-league side.

Many non-league clubs are almost exclusively volunteer run, with money taken at the turnstiles often funding thriving youth set-ups, projects and facilities which are of benefit to the whole community. The level of skill on offer at non-league grounds might not be the same as that at the Etihad Stadium or Stamford Bridge, for example, but there are other sides to the experience, from which the smaller club will always win hands down.

Where can you go? There is a handy interactive map here

The vast majority of games still kick off at 3pm, ticket prices are realistic, you can often stand (and drink!) anywhere in the ground and will always be guaranteed a warm welcome by people who run their clubs for a love of the game.

Whether you’re a Premier League or Championship fan without a game, a League One or League Two supporter who can’t make an away trip, or just someone who is curious about what their local club has to offer, there is sure to be something to interest everyone.

An important aspect of Non-League Day is its support for Prostate Cancer so it makes absolutely total sense for me to bang the drum twice as loud! Obviously my local team FC Deportivo Galicia re involved and they host Oxhey Jets for a 3pm kick off at Hatton Rd, Bedfont. It’s near Hatton Cross on the Piccadilly Line and apart from goals, there will be pin-badges and a limited edition Deportivo Galicia wristband available. Mention my name at the turnstiles and you will get free admission …but I would like your money, just £1 of it! I am struggling to reach my initial target £500 for FC Deportivo and Prostate Cancer at £20 or £50 so this is a bit of a test/a trial if you like. I wonder how many of you would be happy to add just £1? I would be very grateful if you would consider a donation however small to support  Prostate Cancer UK  If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £5,000 and the charity would continue to fund their great work. Every single penny goes DIRECT to Prostate Cancer UK. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can donate. If you can’t you can still help massively by sharing this page about the work of Prostate Cancer. If you prefer to support FC Deportivo Galicia, their link is here Let me know that you have done that and I will be happy to pay you in on Saturday.

Let’s Not Forget

Yes, I know it’s not as exciting as reminiscing about a wonderful goal or fabulous day-trip but please let me remind you all what the purpose of the tuktuk tour is. It is to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

Let’s not forget – one in eight men will be affected by Prostate cancer in their life.

Here is today’s newsletter from the charity.

‘If I had a pound for every prostate cancer picked up purely by chance…’

Hi Steve,

You may have read our recent email about our new TV appeal. The appeal centres on the fact that too many men visit their GP for something unrelated, and a standard blood test reveals that they may be at risk of prostate cancer.

This has been based on real stories men and doctors have told us.

The majority of men that I see with prostate cancer have come to me with what we call an incidental diagnosis. Too often the prostate cancers I see are more advanced, they could have been caught earlier

Dr. Noël, Consultant Urological & Robotic Prostate Surgeon

Will you help fund research that leaves nothing to chance?

Research into earlier diagnosis and awareness can save lives, which is why we’re asking you to please send a gift today and help us fund this work.

12,000 men die of prostate cancer every year, that’s one man’s life every 45 minutes. All too often they find out by complete chance, too late. Your gift today could help fund the research that will improve the odds of diagnosing prostate cancer earlier and stop men dying too soon.

Because men’s lives shouldn’t be left to chance.

Please, donate today to stop men being diagnosed by chance.

DONATE £10 TODAY – OR WHATEVER YOU CAN AFFORD!

Until next time, thanks

All at Prostate Cancer UK

PS. Watch our new TV appeal here

We’re raising awareness on chance diagnosis with our new TV appeal, which you can also watch on YouTube.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am also trying to raise awareness and today I make no apologies for “shaking the tin.” I wonder how many of you would be happy to add just £1? I would be very grateful if you would consider a donation however small to support  Prostate Cancer UK  If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £5,000 and the charity would continue to fund their great work. Every single penny goes DIRECT to Prostate Cancer UK. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can donate. If you can’t you can still help massively by sharing this page about the work of Prostate Cancer.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds

It’s Sunday and that can only mean one thing. Yes, Darren Ashley’s vlog hits the newswires. His weekly blogs (see Flackwell Heath, for example) are proving exceptionally popular and he has kindly allowed me to reproduce his thoughts and vlogs at AFC Rushden and Diamonds who hosted Lye Town, Stourbridge.

I was talking to him earlier and he will be out again next Saturday which is, of course, Non League Day. Hopefully everyone will use the international break to visit a local non league side. You will quickly see the difference between the Prima Donna League and what your local teams offer. Enjoy!
“So, Darren, what have you been up to? Where, have you been?” “Hi, Steve, Yesterdays filming of my weekly Non League vlog took me to Hayden Road, to watch AFC Rushden and Diamonds, for their home match v Lye Town F.C.

Now, I could spend ages writing about how fantastically Diamonds, and everyone connected with them, treated me yesterday. Put it this way, I was chatting to so many people, at times, I completely forgot the purpose of the visit was to film and give R&D, and Lye Town some exposure.

To say they were friendly and welcoming is an understatement, but, for this post, I want to tell you about a Frenchman at the Diamonds and how it came about…..

Rob Usher, the R&D chairman ( pictured left) with Manu told me this charming story…..

R&D recently received an order for a home shirt from a small town in France on the Swiss border.

Intrigued by this unusual request destination, Rob had to find out more, so he contacted the buyer as to why they were ordering a shirt from a Non League team from England ???

Manu, the buyer replied that, for no particular reason, he started playing the computer game, Championship manager as R&D, and started to do quite well…so well, that he started to follow the real teams results from far away.

When Rob heard this, he invited Manu and a couple of his mates over for a game…and yesterday was the day. Manu even presented Rob with a shirt from his team, Annency.

As I was chatting to them after the match, Rob was tongue in cheek exploring the possibility of a friendly in the mountains

Manu told me that he and his mates had a brilliant time at the match, meeting players, and basically, feeling like VIP’s….I actually felt the same too!

So, yet another story about why I love Non League, and the way they treat people. It’s also encouraging that the reach out there is bigger than I thought. Absolutely brilliant.

So…..if you are still reading and want to see how the match turned out, as always, Here is the vlog and , of course, to see all the previous games, just click here.”

“Thanks, Darren, obviously it is Non League Day next Saturday. Would you like to tell your subscribers where you will be?” “Mmm,…and spoil the surprise?!? No, I don’t think so but I do hope people will take the international break as an opportunity to see a local non league game. I am sure they will be absolutely delighted with what they see – the friendship, the sensible pricing and, believe me, the quality of the football.” “Yes, I just saw Raheem Sterling miss a penalty. I guarantee that every non league player would have buried that chance.”

If you are not following Darren’s vlog series, subscribe here at no cost.

I hope you subscribe to Darren’s blog. Like Christian he is doing a great job promoting non-league football. There is NO cost to subscribe to either blog/vlog. On the other hand I would like your money, just £1 of it! I am struggling to reach £500 for FC Deportivo and Prostate Cancer at £20 or £50 so this is a bit of a test/a trial if you like. I wonder how many of you would be happy to add just £1? I would be very grateful if you would consider a donation however small to support  Prostate Cancer UK  If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £5,000 and the charity would continue to fund their great work. Every single penny goes DIRECT to Prostate Cancer UK. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can donate. If you can’t you can still help massively by sharing this page about the work of Prostate Cancer. If you prefer to support FC Deportivo Galicia, their link is here

Paul Ferris

Yes, I know I wrote about books yesterday but this is a book every man should read. You will know that the purpose of this tuktuk journey is to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer UK. This is another journey, “One man’s journey through prostate cancer.”

In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

I repeat,

In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

From the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, The Boy on the Shed, comes a powerful tale of grit and resilience, told with great humour, openness and profound bravery.

Former Newcastle United winger Paul Ferris was 51. He had successfully forged a post-football career as a physio, barrister and then a CEO, and his award-winning memoir, The Boy on the Shed, was just about to be published. But then he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. This honest, sometimes brutal and frequently funny book tells the story of what happened next.

Prostate cancer. It’s a phrase that strikes fear into the heart of every man. It’s the most common male cancer, but treatable if it’s caught early enough. Paul doesn’t shy away from describing that treatment. And neither does he hold back on its life-changing consequences – from harrowing surgery, humiliating procedures and excruciating consultations – as he strives to become the man he once was again.

The mental challenges and psychological impact of living with this acute condition are explored in Paul’s revealing and riveting narrative that represents rare male honesty, but this is never a ‘poor me’ book or not in any way self-pitying. Courageous, inspirational and beautifully written, TheMagic in the Tin is a rare thing: deeply moving yet rich in humour, written by a true sportsman in every sense of the word.

A brutal and poignant account of one man’s journey through prostate cancer.

What they said…

‘Unmissable: please read this extraordinary book.’ – Daily Mail

‘A triumph … A worthy follow-up to The Boy on the Shed.’ – Jeff Stelling

‘All men should read this book – important and brilliantly written.’ – Alan Shearer

‘Genius… A difficult, deeply personal story beautifully told.’ – George Caulkin, The Athletic

So, today especially I make no apologies for “shaking the tin.” I wonder how many of you would be happy to add just £1? I would be very grateful if you would consider a donation however small to support  Prostate Cancer UK  If everybody chipped in £1 I would easily hit my target of £5,000 and the charity would continue to fund their great work. Every single penny goes DIRECT to Prostate Cancer UK. A HEARTFELT thanks, if you can donate. If you can’t you can still help massively by sharing this page about the work of Prostate Cancer.