Wembley tributes for Shaymen fan

Supporters attending the FA Trophy final against Grimsby on May 22 will stage a round of applause in memory of the teenager who was a devoted follower of the Shaymen.

Charlie’s dad David Ingham said he was incredibly moved by the gesture.

“It means a lot to me because of course he’s never going to see the game.

“I mean I know we’ve just been relegated and some said it was the worst day in their lives but, the worst day of my life was my son dying.

“I’ll be taking a big flag for him to Wembley. The fans are going to be paying a nice tribute in the 17th minute because he was only 17 at the time. He would be turning 18 for the match at Wembley.

“It was his dream to go to Wembley to see Halifax Town. He once said to me, ‘Do you’ll ever think we’ll make it to Wembley?’ I said maybe in your lifetime not in mine.”

Mr Ingham’s pregnant daughter Rhiannon is expecting a baby boy and the family want to call the new arrival Shay Charlie-Graham after the club and in tribute to her brother Charlie.

Mr Ingham added: “It’s nice to have something positive. I’m delighted that within the next couple of weeks we have another Shay fan coming along.”

Charlie went to his first football match at the Shay when he was three months old. The family moved from Sowerby Bridge to Cornwall when he was three but he travelled back to Yorkshire with his father as much as possible to watch the Shaymen.

When he turned 16 he decided he wanted to return to Halifax and got himself an engineering apprenticeship and a job.

However, in October 2014, he became ill with suspected pneumonia before he was eventually diagnosed with cancer in December.

After emergency chemotherapy treatment at Leeds General Infirmary he made some improvement and his course of treatment was finalised but his condition later deteriorated and he passed away in June 2015.

Supporters plan to applaud other Shaymen fans that have passed away who never got to see FC Halifax Town perform at Wembley.