CAMBRIDGE UNITED AND CAMBS FA INVITE LOCAL FOOTBALLERS TO UNITE IN SUPPORT OF SHAUN WHITER AND JOEY ABBS
Cambridge United Football Club, in association with Cambridgeshire FA, have today invited all local footballers to a fundraising event at the Cambs Glass Stadium that aims to unite support for Shaun Whiter and Joey Abbs.In a letter to all local football clubs, Cambridge United CEO Jez George, supported by Cambs FA Chief Executive Chris Pringle, made clear plans to organise an event for the entire football community across the area to mobilise and fundraise a significant amount for Shaun and Joey.
The letter reads as follows:
Hi all,
Everyone will have been shocked by the terrible event and injuries suffered by Shaun & Joey. As members of the local "football family", we are sure that everyone wants to help these two men and their families in some way. We know that many fundraising events are already planned. Shaun, in particular though, is going to need a considerable amount of funds due to his life changing injuries which mean he will need prosthetic limbs and adaptions to his house.
Cambridge United, in association with Cambridgeshire FA, would like to organise and host a huge fundraising day that we hope all of the local football family will support. Having spoken to Shaun, Joey and their families, we think the best time to hold such an event will be towards the end of August or the beginning of September. We want to involve local players, both participating in a round robin tournament on the pitch, but more importantly by attending the event with friends and family. Our Main Stand, the Mundipharma Community Stand, holds just over 2,800. We aim to fill it. If we could also fill the South Stand, with another 1,500 seats, then we really would be making the kind of money that we need to help Shaun properly.
Once we are certain when Shaun will be allowed to leave hospital, and we have secured a date that our pitch is available, we will contact you all with the logistics for the day and the ticketing arrangements. At the moment we are talking to Cambridge City, Soham Town Rangers, Newmarket Town and Fulbourn, the clubs that Joey felt were right to be pivotal in this day, regarding their involvement. But we want this to be a day for everyone so that the local football family can come together in a huge show of strength, unity and support for these two local footballers.
I know that both men have been taken aback by the huge number of goodwill messages, donations and support that they have received from the wider football community and the local football family. We want to harness this fantastic outpouring of support and make a real difference in helping Shaun adapt to life after sustaining such serious injuries and help both men cope with the weeks and months ahead.
There are many people at Cambridge United who are currently, or who have been previously, involved in local football in various capacities. From our Board of Directors through to our most junior member of staff, we have people at every level of the club who are local and have managed, coached or played in the Cambridgeshire County League. Every one of us, everyone involved in local football, know this could have happened to any one of us.
Together we can make a real difference for two brilliant young men with their lives ahead of them but who, through no fault of their own, now need to cope with the consequences of such a traumatic event.
There are many other practical ways in which we can all help these men in the coming weeks, months and years but at the moment, a public show of support and raising money is the best way in which we can really positively affect the situation.
Thanks for your time and we will be in touch shortly with definite dates, times and ticket details.
#footballfamily, #footballfamilyday, #ShaunandJoey
Jez George Chris Pringle
CEO CEO
Cambridge United Cambridgeshire FA