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It's not all bad...

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I have had something of an epiphany today. Please indulge me by letting me give you my story.

My Godson James, a young 4-year-old who has no interest in football whatsoever, is being treated in Alder Hey for lymphatic cancer. He was today visited by the whole of the EFC squad and was absolutely transfixed by the occasion.

They spent a good 45 minutes on his ward and he, along with his parents, got to chat with pretty much every member of the team. He even got a whole heap of cuddles from Mikel Arteta and had a good laugh with several other players (his photo's even on the official site!).

They gave him a goodie bag stuffed full of things from the store and gave him a shirt signed the whole squad which I am reliably informed by his Mum has not left his back since. This is such a wonderful event for him at the end of a horrific series of chemotherapy treatments and, especially coming just before Christmas, really makes me proud of the club I've supported for 25-plus years.

I just hope that this memory lives with him and he'll join me at the old lady from this point on (assuming his Dad will let me of course!).

I suppose all I'm trying to say is this — we might not be having the greatest season, we may be playing some pretty dire football and we might even be construed as being a bit clueless on the business front... BUT I'm so proud of these players and the management staff that

Finally, we harp on about being born and not manufactured but let's welcome those new fans, who the club are actively creating through their inspirational work, into our warm blue embrace!

Merry Christmas to all my fellow Toffees!!
James Dawson, Sale, Cheshire     Posted 15/12/2009 at 18:33:44

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Pete Gunby
1   Posted 15/12/2009 at 23:20:50

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Thanks for putting things into perspective James. Best wishes to you and your Godson.
Richard Jones
2   Posted 15/12/2009 at 23:37:34

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Great story there James, brought a tear to my eye, hope you get to take him in the New Year really puts things in prespective, I do feel that the club does well in this area. Merry Chrismas to you and your godson.
Joey Brown
3   Posted 16/12/2009 at 00:37:34

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Hear, hear! Best wishes James.
John Wells
4   Posted 16/12/2009 at 02:56:12

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Class.

What a crowd of moaning pricks we can be. It does make you proud and please God James pulls throw his ordeal.

James will probably watch them this week now so hopefully we put on a show for him!!
Gavin Ramejkis
5   Posted 16/12/2009 at 07:07:49

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The players have been doing this sort of thing for years it just doesn’t get enough publicity. The PR guys really want to make something of it, get the local TV involved you know the sort of thing; regional news etc, it might then get picked up by a syndicated news service.
Mark Rankin
6   Posted 16/12/2009 at 07:48:12

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Gavin, please, no PR guys, no TV, sounds just fine as it is.
Sam Morrison
7   Posted 16/12/2009 at 09:19:46

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I think Mark’s right in this case, Gavin, we all appreciate the point but there are other sentiments at work here.

Good luck James, all the best.
Kevin Sparke
8   Posted 16/12/2009 at 09:26:19

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All the best young James... and ’old’ James.
Nick Entwistle
9   Posted 16/12/2009 at 09:32:05

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Yeah no need for publicity. Altruism isn’t something you associate with football players but this shows it can be done... but they’re all probably on the physio ward anyway.
Ciarán McGlone
10   Posted 16/12/2009 at 10:13:52

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What a superb story... And done without the razzmatazz, the way it should be.

Let's wish the little fella all the best, and hope we have another blue for a long time to come.
Liam Reilly
11   Posted 16/12/2009 at 11:23:01

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Great post James.

Merry Christmas to you and the wee lad.
Mark Fitzgerald
12   Posted 16/12/2009 at 11:26:10

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Nice to see that a post like this can slip in to the regular list of disgruntled fans comments. It just reminds us all to take a deep breath now and again, and appreciate what we have. And the responses do show that. Well said folks! Here’s to a great New Year for James & the team... in that order.
Martin Berry
13   Posted 16/12/2009 at 11:47:56

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Watched them on Granada Reports last night. Excellent. Best wishes to James and his family.
James Boden
14   Posted 16/12/2009 at 11:53:05

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This is one department we cannot fault the club for. So I guess congratulations are deserved. And all the best to James.
Pablo Mc
15   Posted 16/12/2009 at 13:31:12

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Having been the recipient of such a visit (from Kevin Ratcliffe and Gary Stevens) whilst being treated for leukaemia at Alder Hey in my teens, I can’t begin to stress to you how much positivity and good feeling such visits inspire both in the children and the parents who really need it (and speaking from personal experience, positive thinking really is half the battle with cancer and other serious illnesses).

Might I also be cheeky enough to take this opportunity to direct you all to both the Alder Hey fundraising page at http://www.imagineappeal.com/Donate/ and my own fund-raising page at http://original.justgiving.com/PabloAndBeefy - I will be accompanying Sir Ian Botham on one of his 25-year anniversary walks next year.

Thanks in advance to anyone that would like to donate, and thanks to those of you who have already donated.

Cheers,
Pablo :)
Jay Harris
16   Posted 16/12/2009 at 14:33:39

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James thanks for sharing that with us.

It makes a nice change from some of the "normal" posts.

I hope young James makes a full recovery and goes on to become another Blue.

All the best to you and your family.
Gareth Atkinson
17   Posted 16/12/2009 at 15:00:18

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Puts it all into perspective really, best wishes to the lad and a speedy recovery.
Mike McIlroy
18   Posted 16/12/2009 at 14:52:36

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It does put the other shite we moan about into perspective - totally. Brilliant article and all my best wishes to James for a full a speedy recovery, God love him.

Agree too on the lack of TV coverage etc — the least the better, would hate to see the club use something like this for commercial gain — at the end of the day we’re not the RS are we!

Victor Johnson
19   Posted 16/12/2009 at 15:17:47

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Perspective is indeed the keyword. Thanks for giving it to us James. Let’s hope the little fella is back to his best in no time. My heart is with him.
Sean McCarthy
20   Posted 16/12/2009 at 18:33:09

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I saw the ’visit’ on Sky Sports News and it was a very positive piece on the Club and players with interviews from players and families of the kids involved. Its nice to show the rest of the country what a ’proper’ Club behaves like.

Showing my age: when I was a patient at Alder Hey I was visited by Mike Lyons and Andy King!!!!!
Ste Lewis
21   Posted 16/12/2009 at 18:56:05

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They do this every year - long may it continue.

All the best to James the junior blue.
Gareth Humphreys
22   Posted 17/12/2009 at 13:05:43

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James, it's strange that events like this do put things into perspective. I hope he’s a fighter and gets through it.

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