Kit man Steve’s pride as special auction exceeds expectations
Our Head of Kit and Equipment Steve Dukes has spoken of his gratitude after a unique shirt auction in memory of his late father raised more than £34,000 – with an additional £10,500 raised via his JustGiving page.
Steve’s dad Charlie tragically lost his life last May at the age of 73 after a cycling accident. Found unconscious beside a track by a passer-by with serious head injuries, he was taken to hospital but died five days later.
To raise funds for the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance service charity – and also to raise awareness of the importance of wearing cycle helmets – Steve called on his friends and colleagues throughout the football industry to bring together shirts from all 92 English football league clubs for auction. Clubs from the National League and sides outside England including Celtic and Rangers also contributed shirts, as did the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. There were even signed rugby shirts from Scotland, Wales and Saracens, taking the overall total up to a staggering 106.
The online auction ended on Sunday (23 May), the first anniversary of Charlie’s passing, and raised in excess of £34,000 – double the pre-auction estimates. Donations from generous supporters and colleagues throughout the game have also reached five figures on Steve’s dedicated JustGiving page, which remains open for anyone who still wishes to make a contribution to the cause.
“I said before the auction opened that I wanted to keep myself focused and do something special to remember my dad, while making sure that the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance gets some much needed funding to help save lives in future and also ensure that we remind people to wear cycle helmets when they’re out on their bikes – the response has been absolutely phenomenal and it’s been much more successful than I could ever have imagined,” said ‘Dukesy’, who first began working for the Club as a steward at White Hart Lane back in 1987 and took over as kit man in 2005/06.
“To everyone who placed a bid in the auction, everyone who has generously made a donation online, all the clubs and teams who kindly donated shirts, everyone who has sent me messages of goodwill and encouragement and everyone who works in the media industry who has kindly helped to spread the word about this, including all the different clubs themselves, I want to say a massive thank you from the bottom of my heart. The fans, staff and players here at Spurs have been terrific in supporting me with this – our former players as well. I’ve even had some heart-warming messages and donations from fans of rival clubs – it just goes to show how brilliant the footballing community is.
“I miss my dad every day, but I believe he’d be so proud of what we have achieved. Again, I want to reiterate how grateful I am to everyone who has supported this project. If you’re going out on a bike over the Bank Holiday weekend, please think of my dad and make sure you wear a cycle helmet – it may save your life. Thank you also to the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance – they’re a charity that needs support all the time, so I hope the money we have raised can go a long way to helping them with the heroic services they provide.”