Hartlepool United boss Graeme Lee thanks Crystal Palace for support

Hartlepool United may not have got the FA Cup upset they dreamed of, but there was plenty of magic off the pitch at Selhurst Park.

Pools’ boss Graeme Lee was touched by the support the Premier League club offered his wife Gemma, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in November 2020.

She has defied the doctors who gave her just 12 months to live and the financial support from Palace and their fans means she can access treatment for another year. The Eagles donated £1,000 to Gemma’s Just Giving page and donations rose by £20,000 during the match on Saturday.

This was a day to savour for Lee and the 6,000 travelling Hartlepool fans, despite their 2-0 defeat thanks to goals from Marc Guehi and Michael Olise.

‘What Crystal Palace have done, not only for putting the buses on for the fans to come down, but for what they have done for me and my wife is absolutely immense,’ said Lee.

‘I am forever grateful and not just to the club but for the fans’ support. Last time I looked (at the Just Giving page) before the game it was over a year’s supply of medication for my wife and for us to know that is absolutely unbelievable, to know we have that for over a year. The support and messages from the fans means as much.

‘I spoke to Patrick Vieira before the game and told him how grateful I was. He just said what a club he works for and that it is a family club and one that looks after people.

‘You can see that. He has invited me into his room and I will thank him again. The fans as well, the messages and support, what they have done for another club and someone they have never met, to support them in that way is absolutely amazing. I will never forget these moments and always be grateful.’