Memorial match for football-mad boys
A man who lost his best friend and six-year-old nephew in the space of a year is holding a charity football match in their honour.
Matt Murray’s nephew, Joey Bates, died from an incurable cancer in December 2019.
In October 2020, his 22-year-old friend and Lenham Wanderers coach Reece Watson lost his life in a crash on the M26.
Joey was first diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in September 2019.
The six-year-old had radiotherapy on his brain for two weeks, which aimed to shrink the tumour to give him more time to enjoy what was left of his life.
But after just 11 weeks of being diagnosed, he passed away.
DIPG develops in the brain stem, and affects 20 to 30 children a year.
Matt, from Maidstone, said: “Joey was such a sweet boy, he was funny, very cheeky and also so very kind.
“His favourite colour was yellow, which summed him up, because when he smiled it was like a ray of sunshine.”
Joey’s mum Rebecca Bates said: “The day that I was told about his diagnosis was the worst day of my life.
“Joey was a sweet, caring, funny and loving boy who was
at the heart of our family.
“I grieve not only for losing him, but for the life he never had and for the things that he will never do.”
Matt first held a football match in 2021, in memory of his best friend, Reece Watson, who died in a crash in October 2020.
The 22-year-old from Maidstone was one of four brothers.
This year, Matt will be holding another charity match at the Gallager Stadium in James Whatman Way in honour of the two boys.
He said: “Reece was such a genuine, honest and down to earth guy.
“He wasn’t afraid to speak his
mind, and be true to himself. He was a rock to me.
“After Joey had passed, Reece helped in his own way to raise money for charity, by organising online selling of perfumes and aftershaves.”
The match is raising money for Abbie’s Army, an Ashford-based charity which is dedicated to researching DIPG.
Rebecca added: “The only peace of mind I get is knowing that Reece and Joey are together somewhere, and he is telling jokes and being the prankster looking after my darling boy.”
For more information and tickets go to www.tinyurl.com/ reecekm