FOOTBALL chiefs have teamed up with a Brierley Hill charity campaigner and the Anthony Nolan charity to try to increase the number of people signing up to the stem cell register to help save the lives of those battling blood disorders.

Birmingham County Football Association has joined forces with Simon Wilkes, organiser of the annual Olly Wilkes Memorial Football Tournament, and the Anthony Nolan charity which operates a stem cell register to find suitable donor matches for people with life-threatening blood disorders in need of a transplant.

The aim of the partnership is to try to increase the number of people on the register across the West Midlands and Warwickshire using grassroots football as a stimulus for recruitment.

Simon said he was overjoyed about the initiative, adding: “Words cannot explain the way I feel about the forthcoming collaboration with BCFA, regarding stem cell donor recruitment for Anthony Nolan. I never thought in a million years I’d get the story this far.”

Birmingham County Football Association representatives were due to be at the Olly Wilkes Memorial Tournament, taking place today (Saturday June 25) at Thorns Collegiate Academy, to support with the recruitment of possible stem cell donors in partnership with Anthony Nolan.

The Association also plans to work with grassroots leagues and within its county cup competitions to try to boost the number of Midlands based donors.

Simon, a former Withymoor Colts football coach, and his family have been involved in grassroots football for 22 years. But following the tragic death of footballer Olly, at the age of just 22 in 2017, he and his wife Lynn and Olly’s brother Ben, aged 29, have been keeping Olly’s memory alive through a series of charity fundraising events – most notably the annual Olly Wilkes Memorial Football Tournament.

The first event was held in 2018 and during a stem cell drive 52 people signed up to the Anthony Nolan register. Incredibly two who signed up that day have gone on to be matches for people in need of a transplant.

Sam, from Sedgley, donated stem cells and bone marrow in 2021 after selflessly giving up free tickets to see England play in the Euro 2020 – a gesture that made national headlines and earned Sam VIP tickets to see England play Italy in the Euro 2020 final plus an Anthony Nolan supporters award (Donor Champion of the Year).

More recently Casey Mulhall, who also signed up at the 2018 event, was selected as a match and he is waiting to donate cells soon.

In total, however, three local lads connected to grassroots football have been selected as matches for someone in need as at an earlier charity event organised by Simon in 2017, before Olly’s untimely death, Matt Beveridge signed up to the register and was called up in 2018 to donate stem cells.

Simon has been “absolutely blown away” by the success rate linked to his stem cell drives, held in tribute to Olly, and he’s hoping Saturday’s football tournament encourages many more people to sign up to the Anthony Nolan register.

People can find out more about becoming a donor on the Anthony Nolan charity website.

There are currently 880,000 individuals nationwide signed up to the register. People can find out more about becoming a donor on the Anthony Nolan charity website.