Part 2:
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For all the support he has had from the football community, including fans of many clubs across social media, and from those, such as Rimmer, who live with MND, Darby’s greatest source of strength has been his parents, his brother and of course his wife. “Steph has been absolutely incredible,” Spearing says. “For as long as they’ve been together, they’ve supported each other in and out of football. They’re a perfect couple, a perfect match. She is his rock and he is her rock.”
Houghton wondered whether they should take an extended break from football. This summer’s World Cup was looming but it paled into significance next to her husband’s diagnosis. “Stephen insisted Steph should play [for Manchester City] the following week,” Buck says. “He didn’t want her to take a break or to think about retiring. She had big goals of her own to achieve, big competitions she wanted to win, and Stephen encouraged to focus on that.
“They are an incredibly close couple. They give each other strength. Steph is one of the most resilient people you would ever meet. I think football has been an outlet for her over the past ten months. With everything else she has had to deal with, she has needed that.”
If anything, Darby’s illness intensified Houghton’s desire for World Cup glory in France this summer. “It’s driven by Stephen,” she told the Mail on Sunday in April, the only time she has discussed the matter publicly. “He wants me to go. He says ‘Get out of the house.’ He has been an unbelievable person in the way he has dealt with it. The ultimate thing for me is to make him proud.”
Darby was in France, beaming with pride and sharing his wife’s joy as England beat Scotland, Argentina, Japan, Cameroon and Norway, raising hopes that Houghton might be the victorious captain. He was there in Lyons eight days ago when, at 2-1 down to the United States in the semi-final, with six minutes remaining, she stepped up to take a crucial penalty, which was saved by Alyssa Naeher. She described herself afterwards as “heartbroken”. “At that time after the game,” she said a couple of days later, “you just need a hug off your mum, dad, husband, whoever it might be.”
“There were tears and a lot of emotion afterwards,” Buck says. “There was nothing Steph wanted more in football than to win the World Cup. To go out in those circumstances was very tough but she will bury that hurt deep and she will focus on Stephen, just like he has been focusing on Steph. Those two can keep things in perspective better than anyone I know.”
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Darby has tried to keep out of the public eye since his diagnosis. He does not want the attention except when he and Rimmer come to launch their foundation over the next couple of months. It is not about him, he says. Tomorrow’s match really is about him, though. Fans from Bradford and Liverpool snapped up all 25,000 tickets in a matter of hours, eager to show him their support.
“He’s looking forward to it,” Spearing says. “He’s no different in himself. He’s still going out to the gym, still playing golf. He was going back and forth to France to support Steph at the World Cup, driving friends and family around. He has enjoyed having some time together with Steph after the World Cup.
“He’s enjoying himself, enjoying his life. He’s looking forward to throwing himself into the foundation work because he wants to help people. Sunday is the start of that. He knows he has got this awful disease but he’s determined to fight it in a very positive way.”
“He’s amazing and so is Steph,” Buck says. “The way they have dealt with all of this is incredible — inspirational, I would say. They are two people who give so much to everyone around them and they take very little. They’re both very strong individuals. They have been like that for as long as I’ve known them. Together they’re unstoppable.”
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Most liked posts in thread: Stephen Darby in today's Times
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The most interesting part of this article was the fact that he had symptoms and was struggling 6 months before leaving City. No wonder Stuart didn't pick him near the end of his time with us.
How on earth did he pass the medical at Bolton ?gildersomebantam, Sheffield Bantam, Sergio Pinto III and 3 others like this. -
JonButterfield Star PlayerQatar 2022 Entrant P.L.22/23 Entrant P.L.23/24 EntrantBronco, Sheffield Bantam, Morley Bantam and 3 others like this.
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Looking forward to today.
Hope we raise a shedload of cash and really show our support for our former captain.
First time I’ve been excited to go to VP in such a long time too!The Evidence, Ollylondonbantam, Bantamsmike and 3 others like this. -
Thanks for posting that article @Silverbantam.
Going back to his last season at the club where he only had the odd game no one would hqavethought about Darb's having anything like this terrible desease as McMahon was so consistant in that position.
Roll forward to his first game for Bolton on Sky against Leeds and Dallas gave him a torrid time, many commenting the step up to the Championship was too much for the lad, what we'd give for a bit of hinsight at ths time.
Lets give Darbs a day at Valley Parade he'll never forget and there have been a few in his time with us that he must have thought nothing can better this.
There are many things as City fans we remember as individuals the late show by Hanson at Notts County, coming back from what seemed a lost cause at home to Burton Darbs getting the winner stopping Wigan from scoring and beating them on penalties, as they say "it's a funny old game" and when we get situations like this club loyalties go out of the window and football fans come together for the cause and today there is no better cause than supporting Stephen Darby and his charity.Allotment Bantam, The Original EB, gildersomebantam and 3 others like this. -
JonButterfield Star PlayerQatar 2022 Entrant P.L.22/23 Entrant P.L.23/24 EntrantFrenchBantam, Stoneski, Onside and 2 others like this.
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I’ve never met him, but he sounds a remarkable bloke.
It’s a truly awful disease. At least he has that strong support network around him.Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...Bronco, Morley Bantam, Tony Wilkinson and 2 others like this. -
Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...WilsdenBantam, Allotment Bantam, Manc Bantam and 2 others like this.
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Flying Duck Impact SubP.L.22/23 Entrant P.L.23/24 Entrant
For what it's worth, there is a nice sort of comfort to be had in telling everyone to get on with life while your sick.
It's great to have a support group but you don't wanna see everyone's life come to halt because of your own circumstances.Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...Bantam Boy, RonnieBrown, Silverbantam and 1 other person like this. -
Flying Duck Impact SubP.L.22/23 Entrant P.L.23/24 EntrantStop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...Onside, JonButterfield and Silverbantam like this.
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Apparently Dropping things and tripping up are early symptoms
Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...Flying Duck likes this. -
Storck likes this.
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