Family says thanks to Sky Blues for bucketlist semi-final at Ricoh

THE family of a terminally ill man have thanked Coventry City after he was “treated like royalty” at the Checkatrade Trophy semi-final.

Michael Sturdy had gone to the game with members of his family as part of a bucketlist he has compiled after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few weeks ago.

Michael’s son Will had bought tickets for the game and contacted the Sky Blues to see if they might be able to do any- thing to makee his visit to the Ricoh Arena an extra special one.

The club duly obliged and ensured Michael, aged 49, had a night he will never forget - the victory over Wycombe Wanderers being the icing on the cake.

As well as being upgraded to the corpo-corpo rate lounge, Michael got to meet Dave Busst and even walked on the pitch.

Will said: “When my dad got the diagnosis six or seven days before the game for the first day he grieved but the day after he started to make a list of what he wanted to achieve.

“One was going to see Coventry for the last time so I booked us tickets for the cup semi-final.

“I used to work at Coventry City as a ball boy and sent a message to see if there was anything they could do to help make a few memories.

“They came back to me and said they would upgrade us to corporate tickets and we were in the corporate lounge.

“We had pictures taken before the game on the pitch with the captain. They really looked after us and gave us a lot of memories.

“Dave Busst was a real part of it. He was so welcoming and gave us his personal contact details and invited us to the training ground to meet the players. He also gave us a signed shirt.”

Will added: “The whole club was really helpful, they couldn’t have done more. Walking on the pitch was a big thing. My dad had never done that before.“The smile on his face was incredible.

“It was certainly a night to remember,” he said. “He loved it, was cheering away and forgot about everything - enjoying the moment.”

Will said his dad would love to go to Wembley for the final.

“Hopefully he might be able to go if he doesn’t go downhill then he will make it to Wembley,” said Will.”

Will, who has one brother, Chris, and six sisters, Michelle, Tracy, Kelly, Lucy, Jo and Vicky, said his father found out he had cancer around four weeks ago but it was only very recently he was told it was terminal.

“He was diagnosed with bowel cancer four weeks ago,” he said. “He went and had a CT scan and that is when it was diagnosed as terminal - it had spread to his liver.

“They said he had actually had it for four or five years. It’s a hard one to take but he just wants to live his life to the full.

“He wants to go to London with my mum Sheila - he was in the army as a Coldstream Guard and he wants to go there and re-live a few memories.

“We have got a list and are slowly working our way through it.”

Will revealed his father, whose older brother Andy died from the same illness, had turned down chemotherapy which could prolong his life.

He said: “He has chosen not to, partly because he wants to carry on doing what he is doing.

“It’s about quality of life - rather than six months on the sofa he wants two months of living the dream with us lot and his two brothers.”