Zac's VIP day at Whitchurch Alport
Wed 10th August 2016 | Whitchurch Alport | By Gary Langley
Whitchurch Alport Football Club welcomed a very special guest to their Yockings Park home on Saturday for their season opener against Daisy Hill.
Nine year-old Zac Harris - who lives in the Shropshire town - is football mad, and when the local newspaper carried a front page lead on the youngster, the Yockings committee were quick to react.
Zac suffers from Cerabal Palsey this means that zacs hips , knees and anckles are stiff and that walking is a daily struggle for him. Zac attends a mainstream school and uses a walking frame on a daily basis to walk around. He loves playing football with his friends and attends Cerebral Palsy football sessions in nearby Shrewsbury.
Whitchurch Alport invited Zac to be their mascot for the day and also presented him with an official replica top before the match against Daisy Hill – which Alport won 2-0.
Martin Wild – Alport's Press Officer at the club takes up the story: “Everyone at the club was touched by Zac’s story which told of his love for the game, and how it was his wish to kick a ball one day. As a community focussed club we knew we had to get involved and it was great to see Zac lead the teams down the tunnel and onto the pitch, to warm applause from the 140 spectators. He had a terrific day and is now our biggest fan! All the players shook hands with him before kick-off, and the managers invited him into the inner sanctum of the home dressing room to address the players.
We will be holding a fund-raising event for the Harris family on Sunday 21st August at the Yockings Park ground, and hope to raise as much as we can to help him receive SDR (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy) surgery, which is designed to combat muscle stiffness. He’s a smashing little character and we were proud to have him as the club’s first ever mascot in what is our 70th anniversary year. We were grateful to Daisy Hill as well for the way they applauded Zac out onto the pitch, and it was great to see the little lad with a great big grin on his face.”
Zac's VIP day at Whitchurch Alport
Wed 10th August 2016 | Whitchurch Alport
By Gary Langley
Whitchurch Alport Football Club welcomed a very special guest to their Yockings Park home on Saturday for their season opener against Daisy Hill.
Nine year-old Zac Harris - who lives in the Shropshire town - is football mad, and when the local newspaper carried a front page lead on the youngster, the Yockings committee were quick to react.
Zac suffers from Cerabal Palsey this means that zacs hips , knees and anckles are stiff and that walking is a daily struggle for him. Zac attends a mainstream school and uses a walking frame on a daily basis to walk around. He loves playing football with his friends and attends Cerebral Palsy football sessions in nearby Shrewsbury.
Whitchurch Alport invited Zac to be their mascot for the day and also presented him with an official replica top before the match against Daisy Hill – which Alport won 2-0.
Martin Wild – Alport's Press Officer at the club takes up the story: “Everyone at the club was touched by Zac’s story which told of his love for the game, and how it was his wish to kick a ball one day. As a community focussed club we knew we had to get involved and it was great to see Zac lead the teams down the tunnel and onto the pitch, to warm applause from the 140 spectators. He had a terrific day and is now our biggest fan! All the players shook hands with him before kick-off, and the managers invited him into the inner sanctum of the home dressing room to address the players.
We will be holding a fund-raising event for the Harris family on Sunday 21st August at the Yockings Park ground, and hope to raise as much as we can to help him receive SDR (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy) surgery, which is designed to combat muscle stiffness. He’s a smashing little character and we were proud to have him as the club’s first ever mascot in what is our 70th anniversary year. We were grateful to Daisy Hill as well for the way they applauded Zac out onto the pitch, and it was great to see the little lad with a great big grin on his face.”
