Terminally ill football fan's day as club boss

A football fan with terminal cancer said he was "honoured" to have been given the the opportunity to stand in the dugout and manage his beloved team.

Ossett United FC supporter Danny Burkey was due to attend the match against Grimsby Borough from his usual spot in the stand on Saturday, but the club surprised him by making him assistant manager for the day.

The 60-year-old retired teacher was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in 2021 and has previously raised funds for cancer charities at match days.

Despite his team losing 2-1, Danny said: "My day has been fantastic. From the time I found out I was doing this I've been really excited about it. And it's been brilliant."

Danny had planned to attend the game with friends and family to again raise funds and awareness of the disease, but the club decided to take it a step further.

"It was a very important game, and unfortunately the result didn't go our way. We're one place above relegation and we were playing the team directly above us," he said.

"But you know, it was great and the club has really honoured me and made me so welcome and allowed me access to absolutely everything."

Before the match Danny was invited to give a team talk.

"It wasn't very tactical," he admitted, "it was more inspirational - and it didn't work, but yeah, I had a go."

His manager's uniform included a bench coat, plus a match shirt with his name and the number 45, to represent how a man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer.

Danny was of high hereditary risk of prostate cancer, but said he "just didn't know enough" about the disease, until testing showed it had spread to his bones.

The disease is curable if caught early, according to Prostate Cancer UK, but in the early stages can often have no symptoms.

Danny said having his cancer caught so late was "an awful experience" and urged others to find out about their own risk, "if they were unsure".

Five years on from his diagnosis, "time feels more precious than ever", he said

"My experience of prostate cancer has changed my outlook on life," he explained.

"I didn't realise before how many people valued me for who I am, rather than what I do. As I treat life as a more precious thing, it seems to be more rewarding than I have ever known it to be," he added.

The match coincided with Non-League Day, which was set up in 2010 and has grown to become an annual fixture in the football calendar.

Organisers said it provided a platform for clubs to promote the importance of volunteer-led community football, while giving fans the chance to show support for their local Non-League side.

Ossett chairman Phil Smith said: "Every year we've got behind Non-League Day and this great cause and supported it in any way we can.

"This year when we discussed with the Prostate Cancer UK team, we thought we could go a little bit further.

"Danny has been a fan of the club for a while and we thought what more appropriate than to get him involved on this day alongside us, alongside the team and in the dugout?"

Prostate Cancer UK chief executive Laura Kerby said: "For many years Danny has been a selfless supporter of the work of Prostate Cancer UK and so often shrugs off his own issues to help others.

"We're so happy he'll get to experience a special day.

"We thank Ossett for playing their part, and this is the perfect example of the grassroots football community coming together to do something great."

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