'It filled me with joy to see the boys back Ryan', says his Hitchin football coach, as 60 clubmates showed their support for a stricken pal through a charity fundraiser this week.

Hitchin Town FC is renowned for its community spirit across our area, and in football circles - underlined by its academy sides' heartening response to a teammate facing up to a serious illness.

Last week, Canaries youngsters backed teammate Ryan Sibanda, who is preparing for the fight of his life in facing down leukaemia, by raising more than £1,000 for the brave 16-year-old.

The club's Pro:Direct Academy, led by former professional footballer Damon Lathrope, showed admirable solidarity in mobilising to help their comrade Ryan.

Last Tuesday, grand old Top Field played host to a charity event when Lathrope's lads ran a combined 500km to reach their fundraising total while displaying unity with young Ryan.

Ryan's dad brought him over to Fishponds Road for the last part of the run, so that he could take a look and thank the squad.

"He wanted to show his appreciation," Damon explained, adding: "It was quite emotional, for his parents, and for Ryan.

"But it's testament to Ryan that when I asked him if there was anything he wanted to say to the boys, he took it on himself to thank them personally with a little speech at the end.

"He was heartened immensely that the boys had taken it on themselves to do the run for him. I think it meant a lot to him and his family that there was a Band of Brothers backing him."

"As a parent myself it was emotional for me too, I've got kids and when you're looking at a 16-year-old with his whole life ahead of him, you just think, 'life is just not fair sometimes'.

"But, equally, you can't feel sorry for yourself, not that Ryan is at all, quite the opposite in fact. Which is what we try and instill in our boys. It filled me with joy that Ryan managed to be there to see the boys back him."

Football-crazy teenager Ryan only joined Hitchin Town's full-time education and sports development programme this summer, run under the auspices of the acclaimed Pro:Direct Academy scheme.

He came to a trial and did well. The club and Damon liked him for his football qualities, but also for the fact he was a fine young lad.

Damon explained that the most important thing that caught their eye was that he was a 'quality young man'.

An intelligent lad with a really good manner about him. Straight away you could tell that said Damon.

Fittingly, Lathrope, a former Norwich and Torquay footballer, described Ryan as a tiny little lad with a big heart.

During the summer, despite the Covid crisis, the talented Ryan relished attending official training sessions to keep ticking over.

The youngster played a couple of friendlies but, completely out of the blue, he pulled his boss over after a session and said he'd had some bad news.

What was initially thought to be a minor problem with his ear was not as it seemed. Dutifully Ryan went to his doctor so that it could be flagged up.

However, what appeared to be a slight issue, subsequently turned out to be far more serious.

Following scans, medical staff told him they had found tumors in his throat.

Damon sadly recalls: "It was a bolt from the blue. First and foremost for him and his family, but also for me and the staff and all the boys too.

"Ryan was a new recruit this year. He hadn't spent too much time with us, but once you're with us, you're part of the Hitchin Town/Pro:Direct 'family'.

"So it was a shock, but Ryan and his family are dealing with it in such a strong way. They're so positive. We're in contact with them all the time and they have all been amazing.

"I also can't speak highly enough of all our boys in rallying around Ryan. It was the lads idea to do the fundraiser."

Due to the nature of his illness, treatment started pretty quickly. This week Ryan commenced chemotherapy in Manchester at the city's new cancer hospital.

Normally for the treatment Ryan requires, he'd have to go to the US or Germany but, there's a new facility for proton beam therapy.

So Ryan and his family have embarked on spending six weeks in Manchester, receiving vital laser beam therapy.

He's in good hands too, as the Christie is the largest single site cancer centre in Europe and the first UK centre to be accredited as a comprehensive cancer centre, treating more than 60,000 patients a year.

As Damon says, Ryan has enrolled on the course of treatment. "Unfortunately it is 'aggressive'. But it tells you everything you need to know about him that all of his college work is up to date," shares Damon, with admiration, adding: "Every single piece of the studies required of him has been done from home. He's actually ahead on his education, which is an incredible achievement.

"We've got a thing called our "Why Wall'. We're really big on psychology. Not just in football but in everyday life. What's your 'Why?' when things get tough in everyday life.

"What keeps you going? What is your motivation? What makes you dig deep when times are hard in life, not just football or sport?

"We actually had this conversation before we knew about Ryan. How you overcome hurdles. I was a good example."

Strength in adversity

Damon certainly is a shining example of how 'character' and mental strength can pull you through adversity.

Damon's former clubs include Norwich City and Torquay among others in an 11-year spell in the game as a doughty defensive midfielder with a never-say-die attitude.

That outlook was to serve him well, when a double leg break at the tender age of 28 not only ended his career but at one stage, nearly required his leg to be amputated.

Now 31, he suffered life changing damage to a number of major arteries and veins after badly breaking his leg against Boreham Wood, in only his fourth game after signing for Woking, back in 2018.

With a young family and an uncertain future, not to mention facing up to the serious possibility that his leg would have to be amputated in the aftermath of such an unfortunate episode - such was the severity of his injuries, Damon dug deep and kept going.

"You are going to face adversity in this life, and you need a big enough reason to keep going and push when times get tough," says the humble Damon, using such a dreadful experience to inform his approach in helping Ryan.

"And the boys have really bought into it. In a nutshell we just want to be Ryan's support network.

"He knows he's got 60 staff and players backing him to the very hilt and rooting for him.

"It might help him slightly during this time - the fact he has got a 'second family' here at Hitchin Town and Pro:Direct. We've got a WhatsApp group and the boys are constantly giving him support on there too."

Which is why, last Tuesday, everyone in the Hitchin Town/Pro:Direct 'brotherhood' joined together to raise money for Ryan.

The lads' education provider allowed the youngsters to have the morning off to take part in such a worthy scheme.

The squad marked out a kilometre around Top Field and the boys ran in pairs, tagging their pals in a form of relay while their distances were measured.

They ran 500km in three hours between them. 15kms each. Hitchin boss Mark Burke backed them too, even if, as Damon smiled, he wasn't going to reveal just how far 'Burkey' actually ran during the event.

Damon said: "We tried to make a day of it, spirits were high. Everyone bar none turned up on the Tuesday to take part and show solidarity with Ryan and his family.

"We've got a great set of lads here, around 60, so there would have been boys on our fundraiser that wouldn't even have met Ryan yet – but they all pulled together to back him. He's one of us. The way they've all supported him, you'd think they were all best mates, which is testament to them all.

"It is going to be quite an intense period for Ryan and his family. He'll be back home after the first bout of treatment, then he'll be back up in Manchester again.

"But my overriding feeling was simply one of pride after the run. I was super proud of Ryan and so proud of the response from all our boys and of the special environment we've created. We're here to support anyone of us. That's the role of a coach and a mentor if you like, you've got to make your boys feel comfortable and supported."

Hitchin's academy had a game the very next day

Damon said to the lads, some things are more important. This run for Ryan is more important than any game. So don't leave anything out there. I don't want anything left in the tank, he told his young charges.

"I underlined to them that I wanted them to feel like they'd given their all," said Damon, as he recounted his speech to his boys: "I told them 'Ryan's going to feel a lot of discomfort over the next few weeks and months so it's only fair that you do your best - and if that means a bit of pain and stiff legs then so be it. Give me your maximum effort. It's our duty'.

"And do you know what? They did. There were a few tired legs afterwards, but they all did it.

"We've got a special set of lads here. So much so that we actually won our game the next day, beating Waltham and Hersham 1-0. That shows the character of the boys is outstanding."

We are Hitchin Town says Damon, but we are also linked in a big way with Pro:Direct - who fully backed them.

The upshot was that Pro:Direct used their considerable contacts book, managing to get personalised messages and signed shirts from various Premier League footballers including Mason Mount and Scott McTominay.

"Financially it is going to be a big ask, so anything we could do to help him through this time we wanted to contribute.

"Ryan's gone away with a bounce in his step knowing that he's definitely got the support of everyone here.

"To see that smile on his face was special.

"Because he's going through a lot at the moment."