A star-studded line-up will take to the field to celebrate the life of talented young footballer Kurtis Townsend, who tragically passed away 10 years ago, this Thursday (December 15).
Queens Park Rangers men Patrick Agyemang and Fitz Hall, and Reading stars Jobi McAnuff and Mikele Leigertwood, will be amongst a host of names paying tribute to Kurtis, who they played alongside in the youth set-up at Wimbledon, by pulling on their boots to appear in the memorial match.
Wimbledon cult hero Robbie Earle, ex-Dons boss Terry Burton, and Stewart Robson, an Arsenal legend and former youth team coach to Kurtis, are going to be appearing on the evening, whilst UK rap artist Lethal B, a close friend of Kurtis, will be present too.
Taking place at Theobalds Lane, home ground of Kurtis’ former club Cheshunt where there is a stand named in his memory, the game will see Wimbledon/Trojan FC XI, a side made up of former team-mates and friends, take on a Cheshunt squad assembled from 2001, managed by father Troy Townsend.
Troy, who set up and now runs the S&T Academy in Chingford, is well-known in non-league circles having managed at Slough Town, Boreham Wood and Leyton, and played a leading role in developing numerous players who have gone on to become professionals in their younger years.
Olivia’s Vision, a charity which supports patients suffering from the rare inflammatory eye disease: uveitis, the third most common cause of avoidable blindness in the western world, will be backing the event on the evening.
The charity was set up by Nicki and Nick Davis, following the diagnosis of their own daughter, Olivia, in 2009. Olivia is now blind in one eye with her other eye also under attack.
Nicki said: “We’re proud to be supporting the match in memory of Kurtis. The charity has worked closely with Troy in recent times and the relationship we have built up is an invaluable one.
“Following Olivia’s diagnosis we were desperate for information, advice and support. The lack of data and the absence of a network led us to create our own community and resulted in the founding of our own Uveitis charity. ‘Olivia’s Vision’ was born.”
