At the match with... Mark Maddox
The Reds fan and former Altrincham defender salutes
Liverpool’s scintillating season so far and explains his own inspiring campaign
If there was
one thing Mark Maddox thrived upon as a player, it was a battle. For
over a decade as an Altrincham defender he relished robust tackles, aerial
duals, the lot. So it’s been no surprise to those who know the staunch red that
he came out fighting three-and-a-half years after being diagnosed with Motor
Neurone Disease. With a third marathon in the pipeline and a blog attracting
loads of visitors each month, he tells us about his love for Liverpool FC...
“It was mid-December
2010. I was sitting in the Kop with my two sons, watching an uninspiring game
against FC Utrecht. A few weeks earlier I had been diagnosed with a terminal
muscle-wasting illness called Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and advised by
doctors to make the most of that year’s Christmas. As you can imagine that was
a bit of a shock, especially considering I had a wife and three young kids to
look after.
Average life
expectancy for MND is two-to-five years and over half die within 24 months. As I
sat, looking around Anfield - a place I had been coming to for the last 36
years - I had a million thoughts going through my mind: My illness; my family; my
life in general, and how it had all been taken away from me through no fault of
my own (MND has no cause). But most of all, I was thinking: I'll never see
Liverpool win another league title!
 |
| How it looked in the recent Tottenham programme |
I
said at the start of the season, if we believe in ourselves we can achieve
great things. We as fans have to trust the management and the players to get it
right - they haven't let anyone down so far and I don't expect anything
different from here on in. Fulham away is the game that
sticks in my mind, as we approach the most crucial part of our season. We
weren’t at our best but got the win anyway and I drove back from Craven Cottage
that night believing something special could be on the cards. They say it’s
games like that which make you the champions!
Since my
diagnosis I have tried to stay as positive as I can regarding my future and
this season I have linked up with the MND Association to help raise awareness
for the disease within football. The match-day poster was in the programme
against Everton and it's gone unbelievably well so far, with most Premier
League teams and over 150 clubs in the UK signed up. I’ve recorded two CDs with
our band, including a song I wrote called Justice496 which is dedicated to the
victims of Hillsborough and their families. I have jumped out of planes (with a
parachute on!), written honest blogs about living with MND and completed two
marathons (Liverpool and London). I will attempt London again on 13th
April, determined to put MND in the spotlight.
Trying to
raise awareness for the disease is often frustrating because it's so rare and
not yet well-known. It is described by doctors as ‘the worst disease known to
science’ because it wastes away all your major muscles leaving you unable to walk,
talk and ultimately, breathe - which is obviously a big one! The more awareness
we raise the more help with funding we get to help with research into
eventually finding a cure.
I've been told by people that my fight against MND has inspired them, but as I always tell them: We all inspire each other – not least my fellow MND sufferers, who I see courageously fighting for their lives on a daily basis. Watching that game against FC Utrecht three-and-a-bit years ago, I could never have imagined being alive now. That might sound a bit dramatic but it's the truth. I have achieved a lot in that time with the love and support of my family and friends. I hope Brendan and the lads read this for a little bit of inspiration, because watching the Reds this year has inspired me. Perhaps the thoughts I had on that cold December night were a little bit premature! Come on Red Men – make us dream!”
You can read Mark's blog at www.markmaddox.co.uk
