Wallington
Little League
Darrell's Page
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Update
This is just a short update to say that Darrell seems to be doing splendidly and when
I
saw him just on Sunday he was a blurr of speed as he ran from his Dad's car into
his Uncle's house saying hello on the way, what a treat it was to see him doing
so well.
We hope to have an interview soon with him and his Mum so we can find out
exactly
how
everything is going.
(11th Sept)
The following match report was added on Sunday 24th
December
Match Report From The Darrell Invitational on Sunday 10th December
Managers 3 v 3 Ex-Players
(Managers won 5-4 on penalties)
This game was even more fun and full of action than last year's which was a
cracker in
it's own right.
The managers team was boosted by the inclusion of two players who have played at
a
very high level, Elliott (Mains True Blue) and Darren (Inters Dynamos) and they
were needed
as the younger Ex-Players team were a very talented and capable side who pushed
them
all the way.
The Managers team were aided by an extra 2 players on top of the 11 with Tracy
and Maria
providing a formidable strike force for them but the Ex-Players team sneaked an
extra player
on too so there were no complaints.
The Managers looked home and dry at 2-0 up after goals from Adam ( Inters
Vipers) and
Fozzie (Mains Real Maroons) but the youngsters showed they had plenty of life in
their
legs and fought back to go into a 3-2 lead with two goals from Mark O'D who as a
former
Mains Yellows player was used to scoring plenty on the pitch we were using and
one from
form Mains Red defender Daniel G who scored from well outside the box. It looked
like the
youngsters were going to upset the oldies but it was not to be as Fozzie hit a
second for him
and an equaliser for his team to take the score to 3-3.
There was a discussion as to whether the game should be called a draw or extra
time or
penalties be taken and it was decided to go to a penalty shoot out which was
eventually won
after just one miss from the youngsters by the Managers. Their all important
final penalty was
calmly struck home by young Keiran H who helps out with the Under 8s Mini Jets,
he showed
great composure to pick his spot well and win the game for the oldies.
Notable moments from the game included a fine penalty taken earlier in the game
by Maria
for the Managers team but well saved by Super Keeper Lewis for the Ex-Players.
Lewis
made several fine saves from his older opponents during the game but was more
upset that
his older brother Aaron (Mains True Blue) scored a penalty against him in the
shoot out.
Though he did say to him later that he though Aaron deserved his moment as
Lewis's
Greens have already beaten Aaron's team twice this season.
The players who turn out each Monday night for our Sutton Borough Seniors all
aquitted
themselves well for the managers team, Fozzie and Adam were everywhere, Woody
and
Andy showed their greater experience and tactical awareness and Roger "The
Rocket"
was as quick as lightning and full of skill and tricks too. There were some
surprise stars too
with Lee (Inters Park Rangers) showing some nice touches and Chris (Under 10s
Royal
Blue Birds) looking to be a talented player too. Dean (Sky Blue Diamonds) had a
super
second half in goal and Elliott and Darren were awesome for their team
too.
Well done to all who took part and contributed to our 'Darrell' fund.
It was great to see so many of our old stars of Little League back and playing
well, thank
you to all who turned out to play so well.
Our raffle and auction are both still running and more details will follow soon.
UPDATE:
The
latest news we have is that Darrell's operation which had been re-scheduled for
Monday 20th
October has been cancelled. There is no immediate worry though as Darrell is
very well at present.
THE
DARRELL INVITATIONAL 2006
For info on our Charity Auction For The Fund For Darrell please
Click Here
It's that time of year again already, we're thinking about the annual
fun game of football which used to
involve a match between the junior and senior leagues of managers but last year
the format was changed
and the new idea of a team of mixed age group managers took on a team of former
Wallington Little League
players. It proved very successful and the game was a very tight affair with
victory just going to the managers.
However this year the early indications are that of revenge for the former
players as a very strong squad is
being assembled.
The game is due to take place on the Mains pitch after the last game of the day
on Sunday 17th December
which is our last day of action before Christmas. Again we will be asking all
adults who take part in the
game to donate £5 to our Darrell fund and the younger players will be asked to
chip in £1. On the day
there will also be a raffle and we hope to conclude some auction items too which
will go on line here
very soon.
So we're asking all managers who fancy taking part to send in your name to us by
e-mail or see Steve
or Tanya on any football Sunday. Like last year we will publish the list of
players due to play for the
managers team as we go along.
We're not sure if Darrell will be able to be present for the game as he is about
to undergo his long
awaited surgery so we don't know when he will be able to come down to see us. It
was great to see him
cheering on his brother recently in the Inters and he looked in good form. Of
course we send him and
his family all our love and best wishes for the difficult time ahead and we're
all thinking of them.
So get involved by either playing or watching on the day, buying raffle tickets,
bidding in the auction or
in any way you can. It's a super cause and above all if anything like last year
it should be great fun.
(8th November)
The
latest list of players for the Managers team Managed by Andy Nash is:
Elliott 'The Cat' Gilmore, Andy 'Midfield Marvel' Perry, Mark 'The Special One'
Foster, Tracy 'The Quiet' Mann,
Maria 'Bites Yer Legs' Vale, Mark 'The Wonder' Wood, Chris 'The Limping Man'
Smith, Aaron 'Mind my back' Tanner,
Roger 'The Rocket' Teal, Adam 'Winter' Woolmer, Billy 'Quick Feet' Sanders,
Clair 'Mrs Happy Snapper' Rauso,
Lee 'Michael Fish' Harrington, Jason 'Bad' Manners, Mark 'Hitman' Hargreaves, Sam 'The Hatchet Man' Slater,
Dean 'Clean Sheet' Coulby, Simon 'The Beddington Brawler' Boud,
October
Update
We're pleased to announce that Darryll has been given a firm date for is
important operation and
it is due to take place in mid-November. Of course the family are delighted and
at the same time
very cautious as it is a very big step but one they have fought hard for for a
very long time.
We'll keep everyone updated with news of Darryll's progress but of course it is
a very long
process even after the operation is performed.
Darryll's Dad Billy has been working hard as assistant manager to Sam with the
Cobras in the
Inters league where Darryll's twin brother William is playing and they both seem
to be having a
super time with the team. Indeed since Billy has started taking training
sessions the improvement
has been exceptional but I think it is very much a team effort between him and
Billy as well as the
whole squad. Cobras gave our Blue Sundays a very tough game on Sunday 22nd
October and
played a blinder the week before to earn a point against Wasps, I think the
distraction provided
by the football has been good for the family but as ever they never seem to show
the stress and
worry which must be a big part of their lives.
(23rd October)
THE DARRELL INVITATIONAL SUNDAY 26TH MARCH
(Total raised was in excess of £200)
Little League Managers 2 v
1 Past and Present All Stars
This turned out as expected to be a hugely successful and enjoyable occasion
as once again Wallington Little League showed that everyone cares about a
local family with a very special little boy who need a bit of support.
For those of you not familiar with Darrell and his health problems you can find
out more by scanning further down this page but most of you will be aware of
our Opening Day Small Event in aid of the same cause back in September and
how we came together to try to help and show support for Darrell and his family.
That day was a big success and so was today.
So many managers and helpers wanted to take part by kick off time that at times
there seemed more subs off the pitch than players on and by the end I
think
we may have set a record for the amount of players on one youth side pitch but
it was all good fun and fantastic to be involved with.
The team made up of players due to leave this season and some who left last
time around were really up for this match and they gave everything against their
much more experienced (or is that just old) opponents.
A nice touch to start with was that the opposing captains were father and son
Andy and Oliver so there was much tension in their house leading up to this
epic encounter. We had other father and son match ups as well as sibling
rivalry too, for example we had hot shot Aaron up front for the managers and
in goal for the All Stars was his younger brother Lewis ' The Brick Wall' who
was
determined to keep him from scoring.
The turnout for both teams and for those watching too was fantastic and
inspiring.
Every player donated money to play and virtually everyone bought raffle tickets
too.
As soon as we get a final figure of the amount raised we will let you all know
but
I think we did pretty well.
On the fun front we did brilliantly, all participants seemed to have a great
time
and special mentions have to go to the Scissor Kick Sisters Maria and Tracy who
were the only two players on the management team who played a complete full
game and they were still running around full of energy at the end (well that is
what
they told me to say) and they had a great time if there faces were anything to
go
by.
The best of everything today for me was the co-operation between the two sets
of managers as for the first time we had a combined team of both Junior and
Senior leagues managers playing together and all got on brilliantly together.
In fact the general opinion by the end was to make this event a yearly one that
we can continue doing each season.
The younger team of players and former players had a great time pestering the
oldies and pushing them all the way. One spectator who I had did not know said
to me after how good it was to see young and old joining in together and
having such great fun all for a good cause and he then dipped into his pocket
to make a very generous donation.
I will not go into naming all who played but I do want them to realise just how
much
all their efforts were appreciated today. It was uplifting to see everyone come
together for such a good cause and have an exceptional time doing it.
It was like some barriers between the two sets of leagues were broken down
today as everyone mucked in and helped out.
Winning and losing was not the most important thing today but it was the Oldies
who went on to be victorious thanks to goals from Captain Marvel Andy and
new boy Naz. The goal from the younger ones came when Sam B slotted home
a superbly taken penalty.
There should be loads of people I should be thanking but I'll probably miss many
out so I will firstly say THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
I do have to say well done and thanks to some people who did much for
today
even though they were not meant to be part of the teams.
As usual Wendy P was a heroine as she proved once again that she is the
Queen of raffle ticket sellers, Tanya and Megan worked extremely hard doing
all different bits and pieces and we could not have managed without them.
A big thank you to the committee whose support was very much appreciated
and a special thank you to Mains Manager Supreme, Martin who refereed the
match superbly and gave up best part of his day for our league again today.
I also have to mention our intrepid referee's assistants today and they were
Ben, Matt, Daryl and Jamie, thanks lads we couldn't have managed without
you.
There were many other great stories today like the manager who paid more
than he had to even though he couldn't play and the Inter Royal Blues parents
who donated what they would have paid in subs to the cause. Plus many
managers paid more than they were asked to, so thanks to all.
The biggest thank you has to go to Darrell's Mum who ensured Darrell could
make an appearance today and seeing him looking so good was a huge lift
to everyone and was better than any trophy or medal.
So to finish I will say thanks to all once again and well done to everyone
involved
too.
It meant lots to me to see so many people even interested in this game but
for everyone to put in so much effort was very special.
You are all stars.
Steve
Below,
a picture of some of the contributers who helped make Darrells
invitational possible.
Darrell’s Day
Thank you to everyone who helped make yesterday such a success, that’s
both those who helped and all those who attended and were prepared to
part with their hard earned cash.
The counting is still continuing
and is well past the £1500 mark so we have
a decent start to what is going to be an ongoing appeal as the amount
required is a very big total. We were down the park before
morning and we were greeted with a lovely sunny morning which gave
us hope of a fine day ahead and we were not disappointed. The usual
suspects from Wallington Little League were there nice and early and work
commenced on setting up everything. A big thank you to Gary Day from
the junior Yellows who was there bright and early and was invaluable in
helping Adam set up the football pitch events. One of the first to arrive
was Darrell’s Mum Sue who was making the first of many trips to us
bringing
bits and pieces and people to help and it was lovely to meet her for the
first
time, she was a joy to have around. This was not just a Little League thing
as there were lots of helpers from Darrell’s School and family friends
too
who were all there to ensure a great day.
It wasn’t long before things were
set up and people started to wander in.
With people arriving for the Pre Season under 14s Challenge Cup too,
there
were a few early customers to start the day. As the day progressed the
spirits were high and everyone enjoyed their day. Interest gradually
gathered
at the auction table and many of the items started to rise to decent
prices.
The
raffle was also really popular and we almost ran out of tickets. Other
events
included tombola, bric a brac and penalty taking competitions and all
were
well participated in. In addition to the individual events there was a small
football
competition involving teams from the junior and senior leagues made up of
parents and managers which was eventually narrowly won by the senior team
though the generous prize of a crate of lager was fairly distributed
among
participants and a big thank you has to go to Andy Nash and his employers
for that lovely donation. Well done to Megan and Wendy form the under 8
Royal
Blues who joined in with the boys and gave as good as they got. All players
donated money for the privilege of playing so this contributed to the funds
raised
too.
The day featured a karate display
by the team which Darrell had belonged to
before being struck down with his illness and this proved to be a very
popular
event. Among the side stalls was face painting and many kids enjoyed this
and this too raised cash for the cause and we would like to say a big
thank
you to Mains manager John Vigor and his lovely daughter for making this
possible. She turned out to be a wiz with the face paints and lots of
kids
had a great time.
The day ended with the auctions
being closed and the raffle being drawn
which took quite a time as there were so many lovely prizes donated in addition
to the main prizes of a television DVD combi and tickets to the
stars of our weekend. Wendy Perry who has been invaluable in helping with
the
young teams without managers recently was in a class of her own when it
came
to selling raffle tickets. Never pushy but always assertive nobody got past
her
without digging deep including two local council workers who she ambushed
in
Mellows Park on Saturday morning. Well done Wendy we really appreciated
all
you did and thank you too to her son Ben who did a great job with beat the
goalie.
The biggest price paid on the
auction table went to the Jockey Silks signed by
many top jockeys which was generously donated by the Teal family. These
eventually went for £100 though some good amounts were paid for some of
the football and showbiz signed items too. Another thank you has to go
the person who provided the
popular. Lots of lovely things were donated on the day and all went
towards
raising funds for this important cause.
The highlight of the day for me
was meeting Darrell and his lovely family who
did all they could do join in and make the day such a success. Darrell’s
Mum
and Dad both told me how much the day had meant to them and their family
and how nice it was to see so many people including strangers all pulling
together for them. All Darrell’s siblings were present including his twin
brother
William who took part in the Karate too. What a wonderful bunch of people
and
another one I have to mention is Darrell’s uncle Frank who in addition to
bringing along some lovely stuff for the auction also dug deep to purchase
an
Arsenal related lot himself.
If I haven’t mentioned you
personally please forgive me but there were so
many people there it would be impossible to mention all of you but
everyone’s
efforts were greatly appreciated. The important thing to remember is this
is
only a start to a very important appeal and hopefully it has raised
awareness
of this family’s plight as will the follow up story in the local press.
Though there can be things that
happen which can take the shine off of an event.
Whilst I was ringing around telling the successful bidders about their
items
one person changed their mind and decided they didn’t want their lot
anymore
so that bit of revenue was lost. It was not quite in the spirit that the
day
was meant to be but sometimes you are reminded that not everyone pulls in
the
right direction. This doesn’t matter much as this person was the exception
to
everyone else. No worries it was a decent item and hopefully someone else
will
come forward and purchase it.
The donations and help we received
made us all feel great and to be honest
I felt I needed to thank Darrell’s family for giving us this opportunity to
help
others and have a lovely time doing so.
I’ve used the phrase the usual
suspects in referring to our helpers but I should
mention by name Maria, Tracy, Esther, Adam and Sara who were very much
the
driving force behind us all.
So well done Wallington Little
League supporters and Sanders family and friends
on a wonderful effort but the crusade doesn’t stop there.
Steve Tanner
D-Day at Wallington Little League
In the past our league has
organised fund raising opportunities to raise money
and awareness for our own cause. We believe passionately in allowing all
children
the chance to play football and enjoy sport in a safe environment and above all
see
them have fun creating special childhood memories and
this can be expensive.
This time though another cause has come to the attention of Wallington Little
League
which has encouraged us for the first time to strive to raise funds for a local
family
who need help.
Darryll is a very popular local
nine year old boy who goes to school in Beddington.
He is one of twins who come from a close caring family who have come through
a testing and devastating period with the future looking to be just as testing
for
them.
Darryll was a normal healthy five
year old boy when he was suddenly struck down
with dystonia. The chances are you may not have come across dystonia before
so I’ll just give a small explanation of the illness. Dystonia is a
neurological
movement disorder characterised by involuntary muscle contraction which force
certain parts of the body into abnormal sometimes painful movements or
postures.
One important thing to remember is this illness does not affect intellect,
despite
the outward appearance of a child in turmoil this lad is a normal intelligent
human
being going through a terrible illness and though things look dark there is the
possibility of a brighter future for him. In my limited research I have found
that
this problem can be contracted in childhood or adulthood the difference being
that adults tend to have the problem confined to one part of the body but
children
are more likely to have the symptoms become generalised.
Apparently an operation to help
Darryll is possible but it seems likely that this may
need to be done abroad in
point I want to point out that Darryll twin brother William is a healthy nine
year
old who thankfully has none of his brothers problems but like all his family
they
are all suffering the pressure of having a loved one so ill. So rather than just raise
money for our own cause we would like to use our upcoming open day small
event
as a springboard to get a sizeable sum together to start off this
family’s monetary
appeal for funds towards Darryll’s surgery and care.
We love nothing more than seeing
our kids running around on a Sunday morning
enjoying themselves but for Darryll this is not
possible. I don’t know about you but
I have taken to trying to appreciate all that I have around me. I went through
a
troubled time when my self esteem was low and I felt sorry for myself but
helping
out with this wonderful organisation has given me an enormous lift and has
convinced
me that I can make a difference to people’s lives as they can to me. Seeing the
kids having so much fun can give me as much a lift as they seem to get. Though
as this case shows not everyone can participate in everyday events like Little
League, but we can still help them in other ways.
Just about now Darryll’s family
need to know that they are not alone and even
complete strangers care about their plight and future. It must be hard for his
family
to even think about asking others for help let alone have an event organised to
help publicise their difficulties but they are in need of help, understanding
and
above all funds for Darryll’s imminent medical needs.
So please do what you can to help
us raise money for this worthy cause and
have a great day in the process.
We need offers of help, donations
of prizes and lots more so give what you can
and help a neighbour who need to feel others care.
If you would like to learn more
about Dystonia please try the website for the
Dystonia Society at www.dystonia.org.uk
So D-Day (Darryll’s Day) is on
Sunday 18th September on the junior pitches by
the café in
participating kids and families can have fun and look forward to a successful
Little League football season but in doing so help a worthy local cause.
Come on Wallington Little League
let’s play a blinder for Darryll and his family.