Vivien and Derek Underwood have supported Stevenage Football Club for nearly 50 years...
When the charity partnership with Garden House Hospice Care was announced, they bought the brand-new shirts the same day and have proudly worn them since.
The Hospice is on their shirts but also in their hearts, following the loss of their beloved Husband and Dad, Alan, who died in the Hospice six years ago.
Alan supported Stevenage Football Club from the beginning, and even took on a volunteer role at the ground after he retired. He introduced his son, Derek, to the club at a young age, attending games together for decades.
- Derek & Vivien Underwood.
“Dad and I went to games together for years. It was our thing. The club means a lot to us, we have so many memories there and they have been so great to us as a family.
“Dad was so committed to the club, volunteering 4 days a week, tidying up the ground and doing any jobs that needed doing. Even after a storm he would be out on the pitch with a shovel clearing away the snow. It made us laugh because on days he was ill, he would phone the commercial director up to call in sick and they’d laugh and say ‘you don’t need to call in sick Alan, you’re a volunteer!
“When Dad died, a few people from the club came to his funeral, and they even let us have his wake at the football club, gifting the food and function room in memory of Dad. It was so kind.
“I had a stroke 2 years after dad passed away. It’s been a bit of a journey. My mum now comes with me to the games as a carer and she really enjoys it".
- Alan Underwood
Vivien remembers Alan’s time at the Hospice fondly and was thrilled to see the partnership announced.
“When we found out Garden House Hospice Care was the clubs charity of the year we felt so proud, it is such a brilliant cause. We bought the charity shirts that same day and wear them all the time to help raise awareness.
“My husband passed away 6 and a half years ago from Bowel cancer. The Hospice supported Alan at home, helping us understand his condition, balance his medication and help relieve his pain. We were so comfortable with the team. When your husband is unwell at home and people you don’t know come round to care it could feel very strange but not with the Hospice. He was so comfortable with them, as were we. We felt a part of what was going on, we knew how Alan was and were communicated with and looked after so well as a wife and son.
“Alan stayed at home until his symptoms got worse. The team made a call to the Hospice Inpatient Unit and a few minutes later they called back to say there was a bed.
We were so relieved. We went in the ambulance with him and felt so much better within moments of walking through the door. We were able to stay here with him, taking it in turns to stay the night.
“I can’t do anything but praise the staff. Alan, Derek and I were all looked after so well it was wonderful. On brighter days we would walk with him in the garden or sit on the patio in the sunshine chatting. The garden at the Hospice is a special place, a place Derek and I now walk around before my counselling sessions here. It brings us closer to him and our memories again. It means so much.
“The counselling I receive today is really helping, I feel so much better afterwards and so grateful to have the Hospice in my life.
“It was the best place for Alan to be at the end of life and the support before and after is hard to put into words. There really is no place like it".
Next time you’re at a game, look behind the manager’s dugout – you’ll see Vivien and Derek proudly cheering the players on the pitch in memory of Alan.
The charity partnership aims to raise £30,000 this year. Every penny raised directly pays for expert compassionate palliative care and support for local families in Stevenage and beyond.
Replica jerseys are available to purchase now at www.stevenagefcshop.com and from the Stevenage FC Club Shop, with 25% of net profit benefiting compassionate care for local people facing a life-limiting illness in Stevenage and beyond.
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