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9 months ago
54 ARTICLE AD
Kieran Trippier has been making headlines.
Though on this occasion, not for his efforts on the pitch.
Instead, Kieran Trippier doing his bit out in the community.
A great story below and if you are financially ok to do so, it would be much appreciated if you could buy some raffle tickets (details / link below) to help support this excellent local organisation, that helps so many people (here at The Mag we have bought some raffle tickets as well on behalf of everybody who visits our site).
St Oswald’s Hospice official media release – 21 February 2024:
Meeting his footballing hero has made an indelible mark on one young adult at St Oswald’s Hospice – quite literally – as Ewan Barry visited a local tattoo parlour an hour after getting the autograph of Newcastle United footballer, Kieran Trippier.
Newcastle United and England star, Kieran Trippier, who was recently announced as an official Charity Ambassador of St Oswald’s Hospice Children and Young Adults Service, visited the hospice last month where he met and chatted with children, young adults, families, staff and volunteers.
Kieran happily signed pictures and memorabilia for everyone on the day as well as Newcastle United and England shirts, which are currently being raffled in aid of St Oswald’s Hospice.
But the football star also got an unusual request during his visit from 24-year-old Ewan Barry from Jarrow, who asked Kieran to sign his arm so that he could get it tattooed as a permanent reminder of their meeting.
Ewan who has been attending monthly short breaks at St Oswald’s Hospice since 2011, has Friedrich Ataxia, a rare inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. The condition affects Ewan’s mobility and speech.
While at the hospice, Ewan loves to catch up with friends and play Xbox in the dedicated Young Adults Lounge, which caters to those aged 18 to 25, but his first love is football, which he describes as his “second life”.
Ewan has been a season ticket holder at his beloved Newcastle United for the past 12 years and attends every home game with his dad and two brothers.
“Going to the matches makes my weekend!” Ewan enthused.
The life-long fan got a Newcastle United-themed tattoo on his shoulder in January 2023 and when he found out he was going to meet Kieran, he devised a plan to add to the artwork.
Ewan loved meeting his idol, who he found friendly and down-to-earth:
“Even though he’s a senior footballer from Newcastle United, he took time out of his day to visit the hospice. He was so nice to everyone and very easy to talk to.”
The football fan continued: “While on the visit, Kieran met a lad who didn’t really like football so he asked him what he was into. When he replied music, Kieran started to talk to him about that instead. I don’t think many footballers would have taken the time to do that.”
Ewan admits the Newcastle United and England star was initially reluctant to sign his arm when he told him he wanted to turn it into an everlasting memento.
He explained: “Kieran kept asking me, ‘Are you sure? I kept saying, ‘Yes, definitely!’ Once he knew I was serious, he was happy to do it.”
Just minutes after the footballer left St Oswald’s Hospice, Ewan made his way to a local tattoo artist.
According to Ewan, it wasn’t the first time she had been asked to tattoo a famous autograph, but it was the first request for a footballer.
Ewan is delighted with his new tattoo, which includes the number 2 – Kieran’s shirt number at Newcastle United.
The young adult reveals getting the tattoo didn’t hurt:
“It was just like cat scratches,” he added with a smile.
Ewan also admits his dad thought he was “crazy” to get a tattoo but he likes his son’s latest one.
“When you love something so much, you’ve got to show that passion.” Ewan added. “The tattoos are my way of showing how much the club means to me.”
The 24-year-old thinks his new tattoo could also be a good luck charm for his team, who have enjoyed some good results ever since.
Ewan sees Kieran as the talisman who heralded in Newcastle United’s ‘new era’.
“He was the one who started it off and I’m really grateful to him for that,” Ewan said.
“To come from the Spanish champions to a relegation-fighting team was such a big thing at the time. People questioned him but he did it anyway. I have so much respect for him for that.”
Holly Smith, Acting Matron at St Oswald’s Hospice Children and Young Adults Service, said:
“When I heard Ewan was planning to ask Kieran to sign his arm so he could get it as a tattoo, I wasn’t sure if the Newcastle United player would do it. I hear Kieran was a bit surprised by the request at first but the resulting tattoo is amazing.
“Ewan is a huge football fan and is always talking about Newcastle United. If there’s a match on while he’s at the hospice, his dad will either pick him up to take him to St James’ Park. Or, if it’s an away match, we’ll take Ewan to the pub to watch them play.
“The fact that he now has a permanent reminder of meeting his hero is fantastic. Ewan loves his new tattoo and has been showing it to everyone at the hospice.”
Let’s hope Ewan’s new artwork continues to be a good luck charm for Kieran and Newcastle United and they can secure some more top results for the 24-year-old and his family to cheer from the stands.
To celebrate the announcement of Kieran Trippier as an official Charity Ambassador of St Oswald’s Hospice Children and Young Adults Service, the hospice is raffling two football shirts worn and signed by the Newcastle United and England footballer.
For just £1 per ticket, you can win one of the two football shirts but time is running out as the closing date is midnight on Sunday 25th February.
One shirt is a Newcastle United Premier League 2023/24 season shirt, worn during the Newcastle v Manchester City home game at St. James’ Park on Saturday 13th January 2024. The other is an England shirt, which Kieran wore in the 150th Anniversary Heritage Friendly Match against Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday 12th September 2023. Both shirts have been signed by Kieran. These collectors’ items will make the perfect gift for a Newcastle United or England football fan.
To buy your tickets, please visit https://www.stoswaldsuk.org/kieran-trippier-signed-football-shirts-charity-raffle/
About St Oswald’s Hospice
St Oswald’s Hospice is a charitable hospice rooted in the North East. The hospice provides much more than what most people think of when they think of ‘Hospice’. St Oswald’s is an outstanding Hospice providing expert and specialist care and support care to babies, children, young people and adults with progressive life-limiting conditions, and for their families too.
St Oswald’s is a place where people matter. A place that focuses both on living and dying well. It is a home-from-home, filled with honesty, camaraderie and hope that offers quality time for everyone.
Visit www.stoswaldsuk.org

 
