A diehard Sunderland fan has done the unthinkable and had his rival team Newcastle United’s crest TATTOOED on his leg to raise funds for a little boy who has cancer.
Eddie Goodwin, 44, decided to get the controversial inking after hearing about Bradley Lowery, five, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour called a neuroblastoma.
The father-of-one committed to having the crest on his leg for life if he could raise at least £1,000 by the end of October for the youngster, who needs specialist therapy that is not yet available in England.
But Eddie, who is a season ticket holder along with his only child, was met with some opposition from his family – with wife Nicola, 44, daughter Trinity, 13, and even his own mother trying to talk him out of the idea.
Eddie said: “My daughter said ‘nee way’ but they realise why I’m doing it and are supporting me all the way.
“You need to realise I’m diehard Sunderland and I had to do something that appealed to everybody and it’s all for a worthy cause.”
Until a few weeks ago, Eddie had not heard of fellow Sunderland fan Bradley’s fight – which has seen well-wishers raise £700,000 to pay for the anti-body medication in the US.
The appeal relaunched earlier this year when the disease was found to have returned and was helped by a huge £200,000 donation from Everton FC.
When Eddie got chatting to a friend who was fundraising for Bradley, he looked him up on the internet and was so moved by what he was going through that he wanted to do something to help.
Eddie, a roller shutter fitter from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, said his family and friends did not believe he would actually go through with it.
But he has proved them all wrong and put up with an hour of pain at the hands of tattoo artist Phil Pescod, of Ace Tattoo Studio in Sunderland.
Eddie said: “I went on Facebook and I expected people not to agree with it, but everybody has.
“Even when I phoned Phil, because I didn’t think Phil would put the tattoo on, but he agreed to it and is doing it for nowt.
“It’s more like a badge of honour for the people who have donated.”
So far Eddie has raised more than £1,000, with the help of friend Mel Fenton, who works in a bar, who has collected £400. A friend in Spain has also donated £400 directly to Bradley’s fund.
Earlier this year, Bradley’s uncle and a diehard Newcastle fan, David Stonebank, got a tattoo of Sunderland AFC’s badge on his leg to raise money for his nephew.
More details about Eddie’s fundraiser can be found on www.facebook.com/bradleylowerytattoo.
