Oct 15
Ferguson joins fight against cancer
I was contacted by the folks at Killing Cancer. A charity to help promote the use and development of a little known cancer treatment — PDT.
The club has also been involved in this and will send out brochures to season ticket holders. But either case, it’s always better to reach out to a wider, more global audience as well. So I thought it would be just as well great to promote this initiative on the site.
More importantly, Sir Alex Ferguson has joined this and has sent out an open letter to everyone. The PDF containing the letter can be downloaded here, but I thought I would anyway paste it here for the benefit of those not able to open the file:
I was looking around Old Trafford the other day, and it dawned on me: ‘One in three of these magnificent fans will die from cancer.’ The North Stand would be empty. My Mum and Dad both died from lung cancer – my Dad had colon cancer, too. My brother, Martin, has thankfully recovered from prostate cancer. Cancer could get me .. or you. The thought of any cancer fills me with dread. Lung cancer. Stomach. Bladder. Pancreatic. What about mouth or throat cancer? I know how much the surgeon would rip out if that was to be my fate. What about brain tumours? The chemo, radiotherapy and surgery treatments can seem worse than living with and having the cancer.
Two years ago everyone in the club was searching for a cancer cure that could help Dave Rennison – a ‘Gentle Giant’ of a man so well known to everyone at the club. He had pancreatic cancer. Eight thousand people die of this cancer every year. Few survive.
When we came across a new type of treatment with no chemical poisoning, all of us hoped that Dave would be able to have it – Photodynamic Therapy.
PDT is killing some cancers now with a single treatment that takes just minutes, and with few major side-effects. A light-sensitive drug is activated in the tumour by light with pin-point accuracy. It knocks out the oxygen supply to the tumour just long enough to kill it. It’s approved and available now on the NHS for skin, head and neck cancers, mouth cancers and cancers in the oesophagus.
PDT is treating patients now in trials for prostate, bile duct and early lung cancer. Breast cancer is another target where they hope half of all patients will be able to avoid having a mastectomy with PDT. The Christie in Manchester is a leading centre for vulval and penile cancer PDT.
But all these trials are desperately short of funds. The PDT trial for arterial and heart disease was stopped years ago. The work on bladder, stomach, colon and several others have never even started. Sadly for Dave, the medical teams haven’t had the money to develop this amazing therapy for pancreatic cancer.
I wish that PDT had been available for Dave and my parents. We can’t change the past, but we can change the future. If one million Manchester United fans all donated £10, the medics could maybe get PDT approved and in use for pancreatic, throat, breast and lung cancer.
To donate, please click on the KILLING Cancer logo [in the PDF] to go to the charity’s website, or post your donation to the address below. We can make the difference. We can create one of the most successful, winning teams – this one dedicated to defeating cancer. I’ve made my donation. Please join me.
Alex Ferguson.
KILLING Cancer, Rectory Cottage, High Street,
Hemingford Abbots,Huntingdon, PE28 9AH.
Charity registered in England.
Charity number: 1109926
Related items from Red Rants:
- Links of the Day
- Is the end nigh for shy guy Scholes?
- United related links
- Anderson talks – puts speculation to bed
- Carrick Loves Berba | United to Fight ‘Pool for Garay
Tags: Site News
October 15th, 2009 at 23:27
Fantastic cause my £10 is on it’s way. Every reader of this site can afford £10 for such a cause and if you can not give ten then give five
October 16th, 2009 at 7:13
I am delighted and pleased to see this noble effort support by a great man like Sir Alex. I will donate with pleasure. Nageeb
October 16th, 2009 at 7:30
This is good news.
But the title was misleading, though.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:09
This is a great cause my father passed away from this wicked disease and I am so proud that the club I love has joined the fight, great news.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:28
Regarding tomorrow’s game, Rooney is definitely out, now there is news that Berba hasnt returned from Bulgaria as he became a father midweek…does this mean we play with Owen as a lone striker against the beasts in the Bolton defence?
October 16th, 2009 at 11:03
sounds like an excellent cause. in other news, Manutd.com is reporting that Fergie sent a get well letter to Steven defour at standard in Belgium after he broke his foot…. set to be back around January… could this be another addition to our beleaguered midfield, young and from what i’ve heard very good.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:59
@Vivek: Not a great news… No matter how late he arrives we should make Berba plays… Of course if he comes… By the way this will be first outing for Owen as well after he withdrew from the wolfberg game. So might not be 100% and to play against the very physical Bolton defense as a lone striker. Scary thought if not for him definitely for me as supporter…..
October 16th, 2009 at 12:00
@Will: Yeah… Agreed like some one said in previous thread… We are trying to get another Scholes or may be another Ando…..
October 16th, 2009 at 12:24
@Onkar: Owen and Berba would be a superb combo, probably better than Rooney and Berba and Owen likes to play off the shoulder more.
October 16th, 2009 at 13:15
@Stephen: Yeah, I have been going on and on and on about it. Owen and Berba is the best combo even better than (I dare say) Rooney – Barba,. Just that I feel there style complements each other better than any other partnership.
October 16th, 2009 at 13:21
RR, the title was confusing in a frightening way, but this is really a good cause.
Sad rooney ain’t playing, but i honestly think he needs the rest, we’ll appreciate it more esp when we meet lpool, i mean, he’s been playing week in week out both for us and england.
I expect owen to partner berba, if not we still have welbeck, macheda, obertan and giggz who can play upfront
October 16th, 2009 at 14:01
No Stevie Me, no Ladyboy for the Dippers, no chance for Saturday.
October 16th, 2009 at 14:34
Funny how the news of roonies gf giving birth was all over the news and none about berba until his w/g actually gave birth. he scored a hatrick to put the icing on the cake though. hope rooney can do the same against lpool.
October 16th, 2009 at 14:54
@spizzy: Are you suprised that the English press would discuss the impending birth of their countries best player, rather than a Bulgarian’s?
October 16th, 2009 at 15:56
Any striker partnership except Owen – Macheda.
Way too similar, and little creativity there.
October 16th, 2009 at 16:16
I think Macheda should start alongside Welbeck (Fergie seems to like the lad)..Owen seems to play his best when coming on the last 20 minutes(he seems to get injured if he plays more
)..and please start Nani..he scored in both qualifiers and some show of support would a great confidence builder for the lad..also no Scholesy please
October 16th, 2009 at 17:32
I say we start josh king
In seriousness, i think welbeck and giggs.
October 16th, 2009 at 19:38
@RMJ: Start Nani again? No thanks! He’s been given plenty of starts this season to make an impression and he’s been crap. Now he needs to make an impression when given the chance (second half cameos, meaningless games, Giggs’ holidays, etc.). I think that the fans’ support for a player that has done nothing in two years and a few games is sickening – especially considering the stick that Berbatov gets.
October 16th, 2009 at 19:41
@Andrei: No Nani and for me no Anderson for me they are not United class, they have been they been pathetic.
October 16th, 2009 at 20:48
Now to all the harsh critics of Nani and Anderson how about a history lesson for y’all. Remember one C. Ronaldo when he came to to Old Trafford. He had an excellent debut and we expected a lot. He came to replace Becks. But we discovered that he was a very frustrating player. He was extremely selfish. He could take players on and not have the intelligence or self control to curb his stepovers to anything less than a hundred at a time. He would shot more rounds than an AK47 or UZI and still not find the target. Then next game score a screamer. The press called him a bag of tricks and air. Eye candy with no purpose. But he would play so many games and an extraordinary level of patience was granted him by Ferguson. He would frustrate his teammates with his self centred and bone headed decision making. He was allowed to play his game with no shackles and clearly came to enjoy himself on the pitch. He came to Old Trafford as a winger and Fergie played him as a winger. Then he suddenly broke through in 06-07. By 2009 he left as the best and most expensive footballer in the world. But we had to wait almost 3 years for us to get the result. It would take me forever if I have to start on the much maligned Darren Fletcher who most here thought was as useful as Park Ji Sung just a couple of years ago. Now most of us are convinced that we would have got a different result in Rome. So why can’t we give Anderson and Nani the same chance and ridiculous patience awarded to these other guys? Because we are fans who have an aggregate zero ability to see future development. If both Nani and Anderson are under different circumstances which give them an advantage over what Fletcher and Ronaldo aka Fergies’ sons, then I’m wrong. But I think the direct opposite is really the truth. I’m not so sure if Ronaldo had been played as sparingly as Nani was played last season he would’ve reached the level he is. If Fletcher had continued to be played in a position unnatural to him as Anderson was 4 most of his time here, would he have developed into a threat to Hargreaves’ place? I think not. Have some perspective before you just attack players and accuse them of not being “United material”.
October 16th, 2009 at 20:57
Let’s start Park then..
Or Welbeck on the left (where he sucks)
October 16th, 2009 at 21:02
I’d like to see a Welbeck – Mcheda parteneship in front of a first class midfield. THose two have previously shown great ability to play together.
But I agree that if it came to current form, King would deserve to play. Even a 15 minute cameo. No chance though.
October 16th, 2009 at 21:06
————-VDS————–
O’shea—-Rio—-Vidic—-Evra
Nani–Fletcher–Carrick–Tosic
—————-Berbatov——
——–Owen——————
Subs: Welbeck, Macheda, Brown,
Foster, De laet, Anderson, Valencia
October 16th, 2009 at 21:14
@NicoQB: Ah yeah, Giggs had a rest did he?
————-VDS————–
O’shea—-Rio—-Vidic—-Evra
Nani–Fletcher–Carrick–Giggs
—————-Berbatov——
——–Owen——————
Subs: Welbeck, Macheda, Brown,
Foster, De laet, Anderson, Tosic
October 16th, 2009 at 21:25
@ NicoQB, i’d play Valencia on the right and utilise the Evra/Nani partnership on the left. And thinking about it, i’d put Giggsy or Ando to partner Fletch
October 16th, 2009 at 22:59
@Phoenix Red: your probably right but i think we will see gigs as the second striker or 5 mid with owen leading the line unless berbawithababy gets back in time
October 16th, 2009 at 23:10
@Stephen: Anderson has shown far more glimpses of greatness than Nani, honestly. If one of them had to go, it’d be Nani, no question; Anderson’s energy is needed in a team that plays roughly 60 games each season and plus his passing is not always atrocious (remember the Tottenham game? I thought he was immense).
October 17th, 2009 at 4:46
@Phoenix Red: Valencia my be the most tired of all of our players following international duty.
Imho, Carrick must be played. He had a good game for us recently and playing him will give him confidence and make him regain his true usually-reliable form.
And recently I thought Giggsy somehow was playing very well on the wing, something his not done for the past three seasons. Call me nostalgic, but I’d rather have Giggs threading his magic on the wing than being a an steady CM!
@Andrei: I would disagree with you there.
Nani’s problem is in his head. He knows he is being watched, and the pressure makes him perform fro the worse. Just like Berbatov, or Andrew Cole in his early days, he is making things hard for himself. The moment he’ll start to make the simple things right, he’ll sort out his poor decision making and be effective on a regular basis.
Also Nani, more often than not brings danger when he is on the ball, but fails to deliver. Anderson either turns up brilliant (but very rarely unfortunately) or just does his usual workhorse type of display (more often than not). Nani also has a very sweet shooting foot which Anderson despite recently braking of his scoring duck, doesn’t have.
THe bottom line is that as an offensive player, Nani gets in dangerous positions much more often than Anderson does.
But I’m not advocating selling either of them, just that Nani if gets his frame of mind right, is more likely to be the one delivering the goods. But Anderon will still be needed for his defensive contribution, mind you.