Mark Halsey contracts cancer of the throat.

[PT]

A report on SSN has an exclusive interview with the referee who has fallen foul of this dreadful disease. His surgeon suggests it is localised and he is likely to make a full recovery but nevertheless it is still a shock.

Best wishes to you Mr Halsey - wishing you a speedy recovery.

 

[C0YS]

good luck to him, I always thought he was one of the better refs too..

 

[Bill_Oddie]

Agreed. And even if he wasn't, this is horrible. Poor bloke. Hope he makes a full recovery.

 

[MrWoolley]

Sad news. Hopefully he'll get better soon and be back reffing.

 

[WhiteStripe]

Watching him yesterday really hit home to me that no matter how much abuse referees get, they are human, are capable of emotion and actually warrent some respect. Listening talk about his passion for the game, his joy at recieving messages of support and his fighting spirit made me sorry for all the abuse hurled at referees before, treating them like hate figures when in fact, people like Halsey seem genuinely interested in the game and have a real passion.

I'm so tired that that was probably worded awfully, but I hope you got the jist.

Sad news, and I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.

 

[Phantom]

Sad news, My uncle recently had the same cancer and has over come it but lost a hell of a lot of weight and it isnt something which is cleared up quickly. It can have knock on effects my uncle is having trouble with his jaw.

Hope he gets over it.

 

[Legend10]

Good luck to him, I pray that both he and his wife who was diagnosed on New Years Eve with Luekemia make full recoveries!

 

[PT]

Good luck to him, I pray that both he and his wife who was diagnosed on New Years Eve with Luekemia make full recoveries!

Good point, Legend - both of them falling ill with this terrible disease - best wishes to them both for their recoveries.

 

[Cozzie]

After all the abuse we give ref's during and after (and before) the game, we lose sight of the fact that, no matter how bad we see them to be, the game cannot function without them.

Some of the abuse they recieve from the stands is terrible, and a small amount of supporters wish harm upon them. Yet after all that, they turn up week after week (im talking pub footy here too), and we abuse them, and they come back next week, and the week after that, for little more than petrol money, but their love of the game is the same as ours; they ref, we watch.

Mark Halsey deserves all the sympathy that we can muster, and all our collective goodwill, because without his ilk, we would have nothing and no-one to cheer for on a Saturday, because there would be no football.

 

[paul_1979yid]

After all the abuse we give ref's during and after (and before) the game, we lose sight of the fact that, no matter how bad we see them to be, the game cannot function without them.

Some of the abuse they recieve from the stands is terrible, and a small amount of supporters wish harm upon them. Yet after all that, they turn up week after week (im talking pub footy here too), and we abuse them, and they come back next week, and the week after that, for little more than petrol money, but their love of the game is the same as ours; they ref, we watch.

Mark Halsey deserves all the sympathy that we can muster, and all our collective goodwill, because without his ilk, we would have nothing and no-one to cheer for on a Saturday, because there would be no football.

They get a bit more than that. But the rest of your post is spot on mate.