A fun day for the whole family will be held at Kidlington to raise money for victims of motor neurone disease.

The football ground in Yarnton Road will be the venue for a variety of events to suit all ages from 1.30pm on Sunday, May 7.

Attractions will include a charity football match, a children’s penalty shoot-out, a bouncy castle, a barbecue and an Elvis tribute act.

READ AGAIN: Do you remember going to these nightclubs 

The day has been inspired by Lee Fagan, whose father Ken died aged 77 in 2021 after a 10-year battle against the disease.

The football match will be between Kidlington FC and a team called Ken Fagan’s Old Boys, friends who once played with him.

The Elvis tribute act from 7.30pm will be by local entertainer Kevin Cripps.

This is Oxfordshire:

The event is supported by the Doddie Weir Foundation, after the Scottish rugby player who died of the disease in 2022, as well as by Mr Fagan’s family, his widow Gill, other son Mark and daughter Kerry.

Both Doddie Weir and former Leeds Rhinos rugby league player Rob Burrow have done lots of work to raise awareness about the disease across the nation. 

Mrs Fagan, of The Moors, Kidlington, said: “We hope as many people as possible will come along and help us raise money for this very important charity.”

Her husband was a skilled toolmaker and keen footballer who developed a passion for mountain and hill climbing.

After leaving Gosford Hill School in Kidlington, he became an apprentice toolmaker at W Lucy and Co, the engineering company in Walton Well Road, Oxford.

READ AGAIN: Older people can make cycling a regular part of their day

He pursued his career at various companies, including Pressed Steel, Morris Radiators, Oxford Instruments and Owen Mumford.

Football was an important part of his life from an early age, and he played for Islip, Gosford, Thame, Morris Motors and Bicester Town before becoming player manager at Bletchingdon and manager at Kidlington.

Aged 40, he played sweeper for Bletchingdon and was described in the programme as “past his best, but enjoying his football more than ever”.

In another match two years later, he was labelled the “old warhorse, who can fill any position at the back”.

This is Oxfordshire: Ken Fagan on the Three Peaks Challenge in 2000

In 2000, he joined a team from Mumford to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge – climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales.

READ AGAIN: 'Why I want a bus gate in St Clement's'

This success inspired him to attempt numerous mountain and hill climbs until he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2011.

His funeral service at Oxford Crematorium was attended by 60 mourners, and they and other friends contributed £2,000 in his memory for research into the disease.

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe 

As a digital subscriber you will get: 

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website 
  • Advert-light access 
  • Reader rewards 
  • Full access to our app 

About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.