Pete’s football legacy to be celebrated again as family fun day returns
After his father-in-law died of prostate cancer in 2021, Chris James was inspired to combine football and fundraising, and the Pete Coe Charity Football Match was born. This weekend, the match returns for a third year - and promises to be the biggest yet.
When Pete Coe was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018, Chris and his family began their fundraising drive, supporting him in organising walking and music events to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.
Pete sadly died in November 2021, but Chris’ fundraising continued, and he combined his father-in-law’s passion for football and his mission to raise awareness of the most common cancer in men to create a charity football match - the Pete Coe Charity Football Match - raising money for Prostate Cancer UK.
After a hugely successful first year, the game was expanded into a fully-fledged family event, with stalls and family-friendly activities. On the pitch, Shepshed Dynamo and Shepshed Amateurs compete for the Pete Coe Trophy, and the sides will go head-to-head once again on Sunday, April 28th at Dovecote Football Ground.
“The Family Fun Day has really brought the most out of our little town; in year one there was around 1,000 and 800 in year two. Football was one of Pete's many passions; he played for one of the local teams who compete for the Pete Coe Trophy,” Chris, 42, said.
As well as raising north of £26,000, Chris says the impact his family football days have had stretches beyond just fundraising.
“Many people have told us about scares they’ve had with prostate cancer, and there has been a couple of people who have found out they’ve got the disease because of the event and the information that was provided,” Chris added.
Us blokes don’t go and get those little niggles checked out at the doctors, but I believe the use of football to bring us together and raise awareness to such a large group in a more relaxed environment is so important.
Chris is now hoping his efforts inspire others to follow suit and fundraise for Prostate Cancer UK.
He said: “I keep bringing it back to that if I manage to get one person who gets an early diagnosis because of the information we’ve provided and doesn’t have to go through the heartache we did with Pete, it will have all been worth it.”
