Football fans and non-football fans alike were stirred by the Manchester Evening News' story of terminally ill 80-year-old William Moore in recent days.
Moore has been a Manchester United fan since meeting United great and 'Busby Babe' Duncan Edwards in 1944, when the pair did their national service together aged 18. They enjoyed the off kickabout at the Army base in Oswestry.
Of Edwards, Moore told MEN:
He used to come into the kitchen and ask for one or two bits and to see if we wanted to kick a ball on the croft. We played every other day.
He was a modest fellow really. He never said ‘I’m Duncan Edwards’ even though he was playing for England at the time. He just said ‘let’s have a kick about’ and that’s it.
I used to go out and play with him now and again. I wasn’t even that interested in football then. He got me into it. He even invited us to Old Trafford to watch him. He waved at us at half-time.
Despite falling out of touch with the legendary defender, Moore had been a regular at Old Trafford until fifteen years ago. But in 2001, his wife was diagnosed with dementia and he duly stepped in as her full-time carer.
After his wife's passing last December, Moore's family were keen to get him back to United games. However, two months later, doctors diagnosed the Newton Heath native with an aggressive and terminal brain tumour.
His family subsequently launched an urgent appeal with MEN to find their father a ticket for his club's FA Cup final with Crystal Palace in May.
Touched by Moore's story, current United left-back Luke Shaw has now offered to donate tickets for the Wembley fixture.
The 20-year-old, currently recovering from a broken leg suffered in Eindhoven last year, said it would be his pleasure to get William to watch the game.
It's a cracking gesture from Shaw, and William's family are now mulling over his offer along with dozens of others from kind-hearted Reds who contacted the MEN after reading their original story.
Some fans have even offered to give up their own seats as well as transport William to and from Wembley for his final United game.
William's daughter Lorraine said:
I’m completely overwhelmed and a little bit star-struck that someone from the team has come along to help.
I can’t believe the amount of people coming forward. It’s just remarkable when there is an allocation of just 28,000 tickets that people are willing to give up their seats for us. It’s wonderful. Their generosity astounds me.
Dad will be in floods of tears when I tell him.
She had previously indicated that the family were by no means looking for free tickets, but would rather pay for a pair that would allow William and a carer to attend the Wembley final. It looks like that dream will now come true thanks to United's left-back and countless good-willed football fans.
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