“It wаѕ tһe onlу dreам I һаd left” – Mаn Cіtу fᴜlfіl fаn’ѕ dreам wіtһ treЬle troрһу ʋіѕіt аt һoѕріce

Manchester City took their four trophies to Willow Wood Hospice to visit their long-time fan, Mark Whittaker.

Manchester City’s four trophies have traveled from Australia to India, China and Abu Dhabi – and will soon travel to Norway, Argentina, Brazil and the United States. The club also ensured that they would continue to visit deserving fans whenever possible, highlighted by two visits to seriously ill fans on the other side of the world.

Recently, during a visit to Australia as part of their world tour, City hosted a trophy presentation to their long-time fan, John Cretney, who left Manchester in 1968 for Holland. Lan and has never missed a televised match since then, despite living 17,000 years miles away.

John was unfortunately diagnosed with a terminal illness. While he was collecting trophies in Australia on his tour, City surprised him with the Cup Four at home in Australia’s Blue Mountains, accompanied by a video message from John Stones.

In addition to a number of school visits, the club also presented trophies to Manchester fans who were ill or unable to attend the final due to their age. In July they visited supporter Alan Baker, who was being treated at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Oldham, and the club welcomed Alan’s widow and family to the Etihad on Saturday for the match played against Brighton as guests of the club, thus continuing their family support.

Returning from Australia last week, the trophies were part of a similar surprise for fan Mark Whittaker, a long-time City fan and being cared for at Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-under -Lyne after being diagnosed with melanoma last March. After seeing reports in the Manchester Evening News of three Alan Baker trophies being returned to Dr Kershaw, Willow Wood approached the City to see if the same could be arranged for Mark. Last week, the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup titles were presented to Mark, along with the UEFA Super Cup, in his room at the hospice.

“There was absolutely no way I expected it,” Mark told MEN Sport of the surprise. “I knew the trophies were in Australia so I thought there was no way I would see them. I had told some friends through the ‘Blues in Business’ group that that was the only dream I had left really, to have a photo with these two because I’ve never seen them.”

Mark was referring to the Champions League and Super Cup titles, and made sure to get photos of everyone who wasn’t present to see City win the titles due to poor health. City also gave him a signed first team shirt, and Willow Wood recently arranged for former City player Peter Barnes to send Mark a personalized message.

So City brought the trophy home to Willow Wood, to the delight of Mark and his wife Julie, who recalled a lifetime of following the Blues around the country – and even to Europe, where he and his two friend came to Dortmund last time. Champions League shock of the year. As well as running a driving school and photography studio, Mark was also a manager at the Etihad, but he gave that job up when Pep Guardiola became a coach who came to watch as a fan with his father. me.

On a trip to Europe, he said: “You spend your whole life thinking ‘I’ll do that next year.’I’m really glad I did it because maybe it’s not like that every year. We always say ‘this will cost £350, we can spend it on something else’. I went to Copenhagen and Dortmund last year, I wasn’t disappointed, it was a great experience. It’s not just about City, it’s about the entire event. Your family, who you’re with, how you’re feeling.

“Not making the final is the most important thing. My heart is broken. I watched the Charity Shield, the FA Cup, the League Cup. The League Cup is strangely one of my favorite cuts because City have made a movie in 2012 called Blue Moon Rising where fans recreated famous moments in the
club’s history.

“The story of that boy who was me. That’s my story. I wrote to City and then I went to Mary D’s and they were recreating my room from 1976. I was throwing socks against the wall, recreating Dennis Tueart’s overhead kick.

“Football is a blessing. Watching City win is a blessing. I never thought I’d see any of that in my lifetime. To be woken up by these trophies is absolutely beautiful.”

Wife Julie paid tribute to the staff at Willow Wood, saying: “Everyone at the Hospice has been exceptional. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you are in a very loving and comfortable place. Mark’s time here at Willow Wood has been all we had hoped.

“It’s a real home-from-home environment and he has had such loving, professional and caring treatment and been made to feel comfortable, safe and looked after.”

Nicola Burke, Specialist Occupational Therapist at Willow Wood, said: “We can’t change a patient’s life-limiting condition but we can try to make the time they have as holistic and meaningful as possible.

“We want to try to make a positive difference to their life. A hospice is about living with a life-limiting condition as best as a patient can so they can still be as independent as possible for as long as they can and to help them keep their role and identity and feel they have a purpose in life.

“Hospice care isn’t just within the walls of the hospice, hospice care can also be delivered in a patient’s own home if that is what the patient and their family prefers.”

Karen Houlston, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, added: “We are very grateful to Manchester City Football Club for engaging with us and bringing their trophy collection to the Hospice as a surprise for our patient Mark. I want to thank our amazing staff who have supported Mark.

“This is a shining example of how the Hospice works together as one team towards the common goal of ensuring all the needs of our patients and their families are met, including collaborating with our partners and external organisations to achieve this.”