A charity football match has helped to raise funds in tribute of a young Boro fan who died of bone cancer
Charity football match at Netherfields
Football fans have scored a winning goal in the fight against cancer.
A charity match has raised cash for a fund set up by a Boro fan who died from bone cancer.
Michael Embleton organised yesterday’s game at Netherfield football pitches in aid of The Guy Francis Bone Cancer Research Fund.
The fund was set up by Teesside University student Guy Francis shortly before he died from cancer in 2002 when he was just 23.
Following his death Guy’s family and friends vowed to keep raising money to fund research and £250,000 has been raised since in his name.
On hearing about the fund, Michael, 33 - who had organised several charity matches in the past - decided he wanted to help.
The former Middlesbrough College student roped in friends to take part in the charity match that kicked off at 10.30am.
Guy’s parents Ros and Mike, who live in York, watched the match.
Michael, father of Jacob, eight, said: “It went really well. We’ve raised £120 so far and there are sponsor forms still to come in.
“We are definitely going to do it again.”
Guy was diagnosed with the disease - which affects mainly teenagers - when he was 17.
He went into remission after a year of gruelling treatment and began a marketing course at Teesside University.
During this time he began to raise funds for research into bone cancer - for which there is no Government funding - through a variety of challenges.
Sadly, the cancer returned during Guy’s last year at university, and he died shortly before he graduated.
Ros hopes that as well as raising funds for research, the match will help raise awareness about the disease.
She said: “Bone cancer is so often diagnosed as growing pains or a sports injury so it’s getting the message out there.”
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