Spartans team up to make dream come true

Blyth Spartans fans are digging deep today [Saturday] to help a disabled child walk for the first time in his life.

Supporters are teaming up with Hednesford’s fans during this afternoon's Evo-Stik NPL Premier clash at Croft Park to support eight-year-old Callum Brown who has Cerebral Palsy and will lead out the teams as matchday mascot.

Bucket collections are being taken around the ground for the local lad’s ongoing ‘Callum’s Wish To Walk’ fundraising campaign to raise £50,000 so he can take his first steps by sending him to St Louis in the USA for an operation.

Spartans are delighted to add their name to the list of groups helping out the football mad youngster who also got to hold the London 2012 Olympics’ torch, pictured, when it passed through Blyth.

General manager Ian Evans revealed he’d heard about Callum’s plight through his granddaughter who is in the same class at school. Evans said: "I knew of Callum, and "Callum's Wish to Walk", as he is in the same class at school as my granddaughter. When the club were asked to help out, there was no hesitation."

Callum’s mother Sharon thanked fans and club officials for their support and added: "Spartans are our local team and Callum has always wanted to come to a match and is footy daft. He’d already asked if he could wear his boots to walk on his frame to lead the them out.

"We’ve been overwhelmed with the support we’ve received so far and we have just hit our target to get the operation but we need to keep the fundraising going to get him the rehab he’ll need after the operation. Without the rehab Callum won’t be able to achieve his wish to be able to walk independently."

To support Callum's Wish to Walk visit www.callumswishtowalk.co.uk/