Friends of ‘brilliant and hilarious’ York teenager stage football match in his memory

Friends and family of a York teenager remembered him by staging a charity football match, a game he loved.

Peter Woodmansey died in 2020 after a short battle with leukaemia, aged 17.

Peter’s family and friends have been raising funds for young people’s cancer charity Candlelighters, and staged the football game on what would have been his 19th birthday.

The two teams Peter played for – Wiggington Grasshoppers and Bootham Old Scholars – played each other.

It finished 1-1, with Bootham taking home the win on penalties. A raffle and cake sale helped bring the total raised to a brilliant £1,750.

Organised by two of Peter’s friends, the match is to become an annual event in honour of Peter. Friends described Peter as “brilliant, kind and hilarious”.

Peter’s mum Alison said of the football match: “It was a wonderful afternoon on Peter’s 19th birthday and so appropriate as football was Peter’s main passion.

“I spent many hours watching Peter play in both teams as well as watching York city with him and his dad.

“There were so many of Peter’s schoolmates and teammates from Wiggington, and their love and support for Peter and us as a family was palpable on a day which otherwise would have been so very sad.”

So far family and friends have raised nearly £13,000 for Candlelighters. “Candlelighters is an amazing charity supporting families with a child with cancer,” Alison said.

“Such a diagnosis severely affects the lives of the whole family who are all so in need of support, and a child’s death is totally and utterly devastating.

“All our family have received bereavement support from Candlelighters and when my daughter also had a cancer called neuroblastoma, Candlelighters provided a holiday for us at Bridlington.”

Head of fundraising at Candlelighters Tom Robertshaw said: “We are very grateful to Peter’s friends and family for their fantastic fundraising efforts.

“They have raised a really fantastic amount which will make a huge difference to other families facing such difficult circumstances.”