A 'family' of 50 lads who grew up playing football together on the same Bootle estate have rallied round their childhood friend as he battles an aggressive form of cancer.
When Eugene McIntyre, 53, was diagnosed with bowel cancer earlier this year, his mates formed a kitty which they pay into each month to help him with his bills. At a big reunion at The Albion on Hawthorne Road on Saturday, they raised £1,200 for the dad-of-two, who was forced to give up his concrete manufacturers job after starting chemotherapy.
His friend Stephen Jones, 52, said: "All us lads have stuck together. We're like a family. We're on a council estate, so that's how we all met. A lot of us were in Hillside High School and Christchurch is just across the road, so we were all in the same area.
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"As we got older and started working and going out, Bootle had its own pubs, nightclubs and restaurants, so everybody sort of stuck around and we all knew each other by face. We all played football on the same team, drank in the same clubs and pubs. Kids came along and we went our separate ways, but social media has kept us in touch and we've had reunions over the years.
"Eugene has never been down the wrong road. He's always been pleasant and bright to everyone, so we just wanted to get together and show our support."
Eugene said: "From the word go, all the lads have chipped in. I've never asked for it, I've never claimed anything in my life, I've worked since I was a boy. But that's what the people of Liverpool are like. When it gets tough, the people of Liverpool come out.
"It has been an emotional rollercoaster. I lost my brother last year, and then I was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. I'm in the early stages of chemotherapy, so that's where I'm at now. So it's been a bit up the wall.
"The lads call in, they bring food and drinks. Their generosity has been totally overwhelming."
To raise even more money in the new year, Stephen hopes to organise a fancy dress football match.
He said: "Eugene's got four more rounds of chemo to go, so at the moment, until it's done, we won't know if there's any progress. Once that's done they'll do some more tests to see if he's well enough for another operation. It's a bit hit and miss. We're all trying to keep him going. We're just supporting him where we can finacially. We don't want him to give in."
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