Burnley hero 'staying positive' after brain cancer diagnosis

4:53pm Friday 8th August 2008

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A CLARETS hero who captained the team to one of their most famous victories has vowed to ‘stay positive’ after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

Ray Deakin secured a place in Burnley FC folklore when he led the side to a 2-1 home victory over Leyton Orient in May 1987, saving the club from relegation from the Football League.

But the 49-year-old former defender is currently at home recovering from an operation at Leeds General Infirmary to remove the majority of the cancerous tumour.

He was taken to Pontefract Hospital on the morning of Sunday July 20 after waking up with a severe headache and blurred vision.

Ray underwent a scan which revealed the disease and he was quickly transferred to Leeds to undergo surgery on Wednesday July 23.

Liverpool-born Ray, who lives in Selby, North Yorkshire, with his wife Penny and 19-year-old son Adam, vowed to use the determination that made him such a fans’ favourite at Turf Moor to beat the disease.

He said: “It was shattering news when the doctor sat on the end of the bed and told me what he’d found but it’s something that has happened to others and I have got to be positive.”

Penny, who has been married to Ray for 28 years said the news came as a shock.

She said: “It has all happened so quickly. No-one had an inkling about it at all because his body has been well and he is well in himself.”

Ray became the first Clarets for over 26 years to lead a Burnley side out at Wembley for the Sherpa Van Trophy final against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

And he has fond memories of his time at Turf Moor playing in front of the ‘loyal’ fans.

He said: “When I was in Leeds Infirmary I heard a guy in the bed opposite talking to someone about Burnley, who was saying the fans are crackers and I thought I should be the one saying that after what we put them through in the dark days - the loyalty they showed was unbelievable.

“When we went to Wembley it was a fantastic day but I always seem to remember coming home and getting off the bus at the Wagon and Horses pub to change onto the open top one.

"It started to pour down and I thought there was going to be no-one there to meet us but when we came down the hill it was just like a sea of claret and blue.

"There were people hanging off balconies and on the top of buildings - it was amazing and I was gobsmacked.”

Ray joined the Clarets from Bolton in the summer of 1985 and went on the make 247 appearances, scoring six goals for Burnley in a distinguished career.

A Burnley FC spokesman, paid tribute to the former tenacious defender and said their thoughts were with him and his family.

He said: "All at Burnley Football Club are sorry to hear about Ray's illness.

"He was a great servant to the club and we would like to wish him all the best for a full and speedy recovery.

"Our thoughts go out to Ray and his family."