A charity football match is being held in memory of an Ely man who managed the local youth team for 10 years.

Ely Standard: A charity football match is being held at Witchford Recreation Ground in memory of Paul Scarrow, second left, who managed the Ely City Colts team for 10 years.A charity football match is being held at Witchford Recreation Ground in memory of Paul Scarrow, second left, who managed the Ely City Colts team for 10 years. (Image: Archant)

The family of Paul Scarrow, who died in January 2018, have organised the free game in aid of The Mesothelioma Charitable Trust. Since Paul’s death - having been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer known as mesothelioma in July 2017 - family and friends have raised more than £1,500 for the charity.

Having contacted the illness when he was a teenage apprentice at S.S Ambrose in Ely in 1973, his wife Lesley is urging anyone who might have worked with him at the time to get checked by a doctor.

Lesley said: “He was at work on July 7 and nothing was wrong. Then he went to the doctors and bam, he was basically given a death sentence.”

The charity football match on Sunday June 10 at Witchford Recreation Ground and Village Hall will see members of Ely City Colts - who are now all in their mid-30s - play against a Scarrow family team.

Ely Standard: A charity football match is being held at Witchford Recreation Ground in memory of Paul Scarrow, who managed the Ely City Colts team for 10 years.A charity football match is being held at Witchford Recreation Ground in memory of Paul Scarrow, who managed the Ely City Colts team for 10 years. (Image: Archant)

There will be a children’s football tournament from 10am, the charity match at 2pm and a fun day from 2-5pm features stalls, beat the goalie, a cake stall, bouncy castle, mini beer festival and a raffle.

Lesley added that the match and fun day is about raising awareness of the illness.

“I was reading the Ely Standard newspaper not long ago and noticed in the obituaries that a 55-year-old woman died from the same thing.

“It hit me that it’s really happening around this area and I think we’re going to be hearing more about it.

“It’s such a rare cancer so it’s quite a shock. I had never even heard of it and then when I went to the support groups with Paul I realised it’s quite common.”

On the day the specialist nurse who looked after Paul will be giving out information about mesothelioma - a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall.

“We want to raise more awareness so anyone who came into contact with asbestos 20, 30 or even 40 years ago can be vigilant to any symptoms they might be concerned about, and also to raise money for a charity that does an amazing job with limited donations.”

Visit www.mesothelioma.uk.com for more information about the charity and illness.