Altrincham FC are holding a charity football match at their J Davidson Stadium to help raise funds for ayoung boy’scancer treatment and some famous faces are set toplay their partthis February.
Parents Chloe and Thomas Spurr learned of their four-year-old son Rio’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year after a stomach ache that they thought was nothing more than constipation saw the poor little lad become violently ill just days later.
Following a visit to A&E, Rio’s mum and dad were left heartbroken as doctors found a “nasty lump” on his right kidney which turned out to be a Wilms tumour, a very rare type of kidney cancer that only affects around 80 children in the UK every year.
With the help of Altrincham and charity football match organisers Sellebrity Soccer, along with their main sponsor Chris Hamlett, Managing Director of Armstrong Projects Limited, Chloe and Tom are doing their best to try and get him the help he needs.
Having been undergoing chemo and radiotherapy since April, as well as a four-hour surgery to remove the tumour, Chloe and Tom are now looking to try new treatments and clinical trials available overseas.
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That’s why this fundraiser is so vital in ensuring this ‘Wilms Warrior’ gets the care he needs. Writing in the description of his GoFundMe, ex-pro father Tom says: “Rio is the most beautiful, courageous and special little boy and he deserves every possible fighting chance of surviving this cruel disease.
“We are SO proud of Rio! Beyond proud of both him and his little brother… They are both remarkable little boys! Rio has been through far too much already and a lot more to come but still, he continues to smile and sing his way through this hideous disease.”
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Having heard about this little man’s inspiring battle, dozens of celebrities and notable names including Josh Ritchie, Dean Gaffney and James Arthur, as well as both current and former Alty players, are lacing up their boots to help raise money.
Thanks to the generosity of more than 1,700 incredible donors, the Spurr family have already raised over £78,000 of their £250,000 target and that’s the only goal we care about.
Better still, with ticket sales and concessions on the day, not to mention the chance to meet and greet the players in the VIP lounge before and after the game, the total fundraising amount is only going to get bigger.
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These lot are doing Rio Spurr and his family proud and so can you.
For those of you who fancy coming to cheer on the celebs and show your support for little Rio on Sunday 12 February, adult tickets are £12, under 18’s just £7 and a VIP spot will cost you just £30.
You can buy tickets HERE and those remaining will also be made available for purchase on the day. Most importantly, all the proceeds will be going towards helping Rio and his family fight this. Entry to the historic Moss Lane ground starts from 3:30pm and kick-off is at 5pm.
Ex-Man United man Louis Saha says Old Trafford’s deterioration shows a ‘lack of respect’ for the fans
Danny Jones
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has come to claim that the deterioration of Old Trafford is disrespectful to the fans.
The retired French forward, who represented the club 120 times and scored 42 goals during his time at the club between 2004-08, has come to the defence of the Man United faithful, insisting that the stadium is simply no longer up to the standard.
Speaking to Paddy Power earlier this week, the Red Devils old number nine said, “The state of Old Trafford shows a lack of respect to the supporters. They pay for tickets, create the atmosphere, and they need to have a better experience.
“The images of the roof leaking are ridiculous for those who are proud of the club, it’s unacceptable. It’s a bad sign that the investment has not been made in the right place at the right time.” In case you missed it, the Theatre of Dreams looked more like some kind of drowning nightmare after last week’s flooding.
“I’ve heard Gary Neville complain about it many times, and he’s been warning the club about it for a while”, Saha continued. “For it to get to that point, it was really embarrassing.
Flooding was just spotted in the stands but there were various reports and clips posted on social media showing interior leaks, including in the away dressing room.
The 45-year-old went on to say: “It’s symbolic, but it means a lot. For a fan that has paid so much for their membership and ticket, they haven’t been respected. It needs to be addressed – fans should not be seeing this.”
Fans have been complaining about various problems with Old Trafford‘s infrastructure for years now as despite being one of the most valuable football clubs in the world, Man United’s home ground and various other facilities are widely considered to be pretty outdated.
Saha, like many of the fans, believes the deterioration of Old Trafford symbolises the Glazer’s neglect. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already intimated that he would rather build an entirely new stadium than renovate Old Trafford, especially since it has been estimated that it would cost more to repair and redevelop the existing structure than it would start from scratch.
There have also been plenty of mock-ups as to what a ‘New Trafford’ might look like should the prospective plans be greenlit. Mayor Andy Burham has already been appointed as part of the new stadium ‘taskforce’ and says it could prove to be the biggest regeneration scheme in the country.
Be it giving the iconic football stadium some much-needed TLC or providing the fans with an entirely new one, it’s fair to say the club can’t expect to return to their glory days by allowing Old Trafford to continue deteriorating and letting its legacy slip into squalor.
Featured Images — Web Summit (via Flickr)/Wikimedia Commons/The Manc Group
Sport
Man City confirm Ederson will miss rest of the season following fractured eye socket
Danny Jones
Manchester City have revealed that goalkeeper Ederson will miss the final two games of the season after suffering a fractured eye socket following a hefty collision earlier this week.
City’s second-choice keeper Stefan Ortega was forced to come on and produce some heroics against Tottenham on Tuesday night after Ederson was on the receiving end of a forceful challenge from centre-back Cristian Romero, ultimately being hooked off despite trying to play on for a few more minutes.
The Brazilian number one was left visibly upset by the decision, thrashing his seat on the bench and planting his head in his hands following the understandably cautious substitution, but it proved to be the right move the club has now confirmed a bone-break around his eye.
With manager Pep Guardiola having already to press after the game that Ederson has a “problem with his eye” and “could not see” properly, the club have now confirmed that he will now be out for the rest of the season.
We can confirm that Ederson will miss the final two games of the season due to a small fracture of his eye socket.
Everyone at the Club wishes Ederson a speedy recovery 🩵
As detailed in the update, scans revealed a “small fracture” of his right eye socket and being struck by the leg and hip of the Spurs defender.
It was clear that all was not well in the immediate aftermath of the two players clashing as the 30-year-old was left lying on the floor for some time and medical staff were rushed over.
Although concussion was ultimately ruled out and only the fracture has been confirmed, Ederson did go on to slip with his first kick of the ball and was seen shaking his head as if to shrug off the impact in the following moments.
He was also pictured with a very noticeable black eye following the full-time whistle.
This obviously means that in addition to missing Man City’s last Premier League game of the season against West Ham this weekend, where they might very well lift their fourth consecutive title, he will also miss the FA Cup final against Man United.
With it being just the second Manchester derby cup final in history, a second in a row as it happens, he, the team and the fans will obviously be gutted to be without their go-to shot-stopper.
Nevertheless, it’s a relief to see his safety being prioritised not only during the same on Tuesday night but in the days since and if there’s one thing it proved it’s that Ortega is more than capable of filling in for him when needed.
As any fan would following a scary injury like that, we join the club in wishing him a speedy recovery.