Head Coach delighted to pass on money raised by supporters...
During a hectic month of January for everyone at the Club, a group of Reds fans showed support for Paul Heckingbottom by raising money that they could then pass on to his local public house in order to 'pay on' drinks of his choice during his downtime!Whilst Hecky was humbled and amused by the gesture, he felt it would be more appropriate to pass the money on - in way of a donation - to a cause close to his heart.
As he explained: "When I was told about this a few weeks ago it really gave me a lift. It was obviously a bit of fun, real Barnsley humour. I had a bit of a laugh about it. But having been assured it was a serious offer, I thought it was more appropriate that the money go to a worthy cause.
"The Children's Ward up at Barnsley Hospital is a cause that's close to my heart. They do terrific work up there. As a father myself I know only too well how hard it can be to see your children sick or unwell, and the staff on the Children's Ward and the care they offer is first class.
"Thank you to West Stand Bogs for trying to fix me a few drinks and to those who donated, it was a nice gesture, but I hope they appreciate why I'm passing it on like this."
Liam Dyson from West Stand Bogs explained the reasons behind the gesture, telling us: "After the Leeds game, a few people mentioned on social media that it was great to see Paul Heckingbottom having a quiet drink in celebration in a local pub after. To help him celebrate in future, we had a whip round to buy him a few pints!
"As ever, things got a little bit daft with us and after a couple of days, we'd had nearly £200 donated which I think showed the appreciation and high standing Barnsley fans hold Paul in. However, in a gesture that obviously shows the type of man he is, Paul rejected the beer and instead asked for us to donate the money to Barnsley Hospital's Children's Ward which we have now gladly done.
"At West Stand Bogs we try to marry up a light-hearted take on the Football Club with doing good things to support our community and this is a prime example."
West Stand Bogs is a a Barnsley FC themed fanzine set up four years ago by a group of Reds supporters. In that time they've raised over £50,000 for numerous charities in the local area through sales of the magazine, various fundraising events and as shown most recently, the charity walks from Oakwell to other football stadia. The 54 mile walk to Derby two weeks ago raised close to £18,000 for CALM.
Please visit THIS website for more details on the services offered by the Children's Ward at Barnsley Hospital.
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