3:50pm Thursday 6th March 2008
By David Horne
YOUNG Matthew Lee misses his football . . . and his mates are missing him as captain of their junior team.
The 13-year-old has been out of action since suddenly falling ill and being diagnosed with leukaemia just before Christmas.
It came as a shock to the family, but also to the squad, many of whom have been playing in the same Carterton boys teams since they were eight years old.
So, they decided to get together and raise money in the best way they could, a sponsored training session, dribbling a ball for an hour each.
And before Carterton Boys Under-13s home game against Banbury last, they gave Matthew a surprise by handing over to him a Nintendo Wii - the latest computer console craze - to while away the hours indoors.
They bought it out of the £1,100 they raised in sponsorship, and the rest of the money, about £750, was handed over to Cancer Research UK.
Matthew came along with his dad, Darren, to watch some of the game at the Kilkenny Lane ground.
Just two days before he had been at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for a blood transfusion. He has already undergone chemotherapy.
Darren, who used to manage the team, said: "They are a really good, really loyal group of kids. They have all been together since they were under-eights and Matt's really thankful for what they have done.
"Matt and the rest of the team are all pupils at Carterton Community College, but his diagnosis of leukaemia came 'out of the blue' before Christmas.
"For a couple of weeks, he had not been himself. He is usually someone with loads of energy. You put it down to colds.
"We took him to the doctors, and the day after they took a blood test, we were told he had leukaemia. We have never had it in the family before, so it came as a shock.
"He is not bad at the moment. He has his good days, and then not so good the next. My wife Sharon has had to give up work to look after him. That is how life is at the moment."
Glenn Campbell, former assistant manager of the team, which plays in the A-league of the Witney and District Boys, has taken over from Darren.
He said: "As soon as the boys found out, they wanted to do something for him. They have been together since they were really young, and they all go to the same school. They are all very close, and stick together for each other. I thought it was really good the lads wanted to do this all by themselves. They are a great bunch."
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