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Blues Legends set to support James
By Dave Bishop
James Walker Benefit Match – Southend Legends v Farke Knight Rises – Bowers & Pitsea Football Club – Sunday, May 28 (3pm).
The Southend United Ex Players Association (SUEPA) have organised a special benefit match for former Blues striker James Walker at The Len Salmon Stadium, Bowers & Pitsea FC this Sunday, May 28 (3pm).
James, 35, has lived in a care facility in Southend since suffering a cardiac arrest in February 2019 that stopped all blood flow to his brain – leaving him with life-changing physical and mental impairments.
With a total now approaching almost £10,000 raised towards helping fund the regular therapy sessions that will greatly benefit James’s improvement moving forward, many of his former team-mates and fellow SUEPA members will be in action during the afternoon for the Southend Legends team (managed by Steve Tilson and assisted by Paul Brush & Frankie Banks) with the following confirmed to play against local charity fundraising team Farke Knight Rises –
Simon Royce, John White, Duncan Jupp, Leon Cort, Leo Roget, Mark Wright, Mark Gower, Anthony Wordsworth, Alan McCormack, Kevin Maher, Damian Scannell, Nicky Bailey, Paul Byrne, Leon Constantine, Lee Barnard, Francis Laurent, Matt Harrold and Kevin Betsy.
With James’ school friend Fabrice Muamba, who himself suffered a cardiac arrest when playing for Bolton Wanderers at Tottenham Hotspur in March 2012 (resulting in his heart stopping for seventy-eight minutes) also in attendance at the match, it promises to be an emotional afternoon.
Friend and former team-mate Damian Scannell will be running an ultra-marathon with his fitness group the ‘Super Dads’ from The Valley – James’ first club, Charlton Athletic’s ground to the Len Salmon Stadium on the day and family friend, Harry Kane has donated a signed Spurs shirt, which is presently being auctioned on eBay to raise funds.
Tickets are available on the day at the gate, priced at £5.00 (adults) and £2.00 (under 16’s) with an impressive souvenir programme having been produced for the match, also on sale priced just £2.00.
Further information if required, is available by contacting – [email protected]
James Walker – An Appreciation
Born in Hackney on 25th November 1987, James Walker signed for Charlton Athletic as a teenager before turning pro in 2004, where his outstanding performances in the youth team thrust James into the international spotlight leading to him being capped twice at England U18 level in 2005.
Despite never being given a first-team opportunity at Charlton, James enjoyed several loan moves away from The Valley at Hartlepool United (making his league debut as a late substitute v Swindon Town on 2nd May 2006) Bristol Rovers (for whom he scored his first league goal v Boston United on October 7, 2006) Leyton Orient, Notts County and Yeovil Town.
Manager Steve Tilson signed James, initially on loan before the £50,000 move became permanent in August 2008. He marked his debut (coming on in the sixty-fifth minute as a substitute for Charlie MacDonald) with a goal against Bournemouth at Roots Hall, finishing his first season at the Blues with four goals in seventeen games.
In total, James played fifty-two matches in all competitions for Southend (eight goals) before after a short spell out on loan at Hereford United, he left on a free transfer – joining Gillingham in February 2010.
James re-joined Leyton Orient shortly after, before leaving Brisbane Road in January 2011 to embark on a nomadic non-league career that took him to Woking, Dover Athletic, Eastbourne Borough, Bishop’s Stortford, East Thurrock United, Canvey Island, Maldon & Tiptree and Tilbury, as well as a spell playing in Australia for Albany Creek Exclesior.
It was whilst at Eastbourne Borough in 2012 that James was called up for the Antigua and Barbuda squad for their World Cup 2014 Qualifier v Guatemala, coming on as a second-half substitute to win his first (and only) international cap.
After dropping into non-league football, James combined his playing commitments with working as a Learning Support Teacher at Ramsden Hall Academy, a secondary school for boys with special needs in Billericay, where he became a most popular member of staff to pupils and teachers/staff alike. It was whilst in the role and due to his dedication and hard work on their behalf, the boys at Ramsden Hall nominated James for a prestigious Leader Award from the Jack Petchey Foundation, which was duly bestowed upon him.
It was at Ramsden Hall however, that in February 2019 with James demonstrating a somersault to his class that he suffered a massive cardiac arrest that for a prolonged period stopped all blood flow to his brain, leaving him in a coma for over two weeks with his life in the balance.
Although he thankfully survived, he has been left with life-changing issues and now lives in a 24-hour care facility in Southend.
This match and all the other fundraising events taking place alongside it will go towards financing the specialist care James needs and will undoubtedly improve the quality of his life moving forward now.
