We lost my dad, David Tulip, on 1st May 2021 after a long and courageous battle against ailing health, aged 85.

David absolutely loved football. He played for Haydon Bridge as a flying winger with a fearsome left foot. He later set up and coached the village's junior (under 18) football team in the 1970s, helping young players to develop their game. David was immensely proud that two of them, Shaun Elliott and George Hope, went on to play for Sunderland and Newcastle United respectively. 

He always believed that even more of his young players could have excelled in professional football if the chance had come their way.

David was a lifelong Sunderland fan and for many years attended matches at Roker Park and at the Stadium of Light. He was there at Wembley for the famous FA Cup win in 1973 and even attended both of Sunderland's Wembley trips in 2018. I joined him for much of this footballing journey.  

In 2007, David underwent major surgery at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) after it was discovered he had a cancerous polyp in his food pipe. The complex operation left David on a life support machine, but he pulled through and made a full recovery. 

David suffered strokes from 2014 onwards, and even suffered from lung cancer during his final year. But he was always grateful for the incredible work of medics at the RVI, who saved his life back in 2007. 

Every year David made a donation to the Northern Oesophago Gastric Cancer Fund, which is part of the Newcastle Hospitals Charity, as a token of his appreciation. The fund supports the regional campaign - 'Oesophagoose' - to raise awareness of the early symptoms associated with this disease.

With this football match in David's memory, we hope to bring together players and other people associated with him and me, to raise as much money for this remarkable cause as possible. 

Your contributions will be greatly appreciated. 

More details about the match and the day itself will follow. The event is kindly sponsored by Haydonian Community Lounge and Bar which is host venue and is supported by Top Signs. 

Joseph, son of David.