Carl's Homecoming

Andy has sent me some great pictures to share with you of Carl's return trip to England. There are quite a few so I'll get some on the Facebook page as well.

Don't you just love this picture? Both are so full of joy and optimism

Carl with close friend Mark Crump who arranged the trip.

I think the smile on his face says it all... He's nearly home!
Please check out the Facebook page for some more great pictures.

Biggest Thanks

Apologies for leaving the biggest thanks of all out on the list:

Skydrift, the airline that bought Carl back to Liverpool, Roger Klyn who provded the plane and to Captain Peter Rimmer who organised the flight.

Thanks to the person who emailed me the details.

Thank You

Now that we have all recovered from Fri night, a few thank you's are in order:

Blue Moon MCFC; El Rincon; manchestercity.net; Wayne Bridge; Village Hotel Bury; Sancastle Blackpool; Slatterys; Liverpool/Everton/Hull/Middlesbrough fans; Marcus & Schalke supporters; Lancashire Cricket Club; Manchester City Football Club; The Football Supporters Federation; Ricky Hatton; Pau Brasil; Thomas Cook; Oasis; Blackley Royal British Legion; Garry Cook; Michael Johnson; Dom Collins; The Micradotts; Mike Lancaster; Mark Lillas; James H Reeve; Paul Hince; Paul Power; Tommy Booth; Fred Eyre; Don Frame (M.E.N); Jim Cassell; Gary Owen; Joey Barton; The Referee Association; Peter Barnes; Opus Comedy Store; All the doctors & nurses in Germany; Greater Manchester Radio; Pat the Red; Official Supporters Club; Centenary Supporters Association; Blue Watch; Spike & 90 Minutes; Vital MCFC; Ivan Lewis MP; Sappartos; plus everyone who has made donations and sent messages of support.

Please let me know if there are any names/organisations I have missed off the list as I can only put up what I have been given.
Thanks

What a fantastic night!

A great big thank you to everyone who attended the Cabaret Night last night, it was a brilliant evening.

I don't want to clog the Blog up with pictures (I took so many!) but you can find many more on the 'Facebook' page, just do a search for Carl Ramsbottom Appeal

These are a couple of my favourites from the night:

Carl's parents and Andy

This is the City fan who possibly saved Carl's life as he was the first on the scene after the accident and administered first-aid. I know he is a nurse working in North Manchester General Hospital, but unfortunately I don't know his name, so if someone can let me know, I'll give him the full credit he deserves. He is pictured here with City legends Tommy Booth, Mark Lillas & Paul Power

Michael Johnson attending

Tonight is the Grand Cabaret Evening and we have just heard that Michael Johnson will be attending with Garry Cook.
If you are going, enjoy the evening but beware - I will have my camera with me and will be snapping away, so you could end up on the Blog!

From Carl, his family and friends and all who's worked on the appeal - HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!

Video of Carl's Return

I defy anyone to watch this and not have a tear in your eye or a lump in your throat, whether you know Carl or not, this is a very moving video.
Thanks to Mark Crump for the link.
http://liverpoolstories.blogspot.com/2009/04/carl-ramsbottom-comes-home.html

Back on English Soil

Carl arrived safely back in England yesterday afternoon and I hope most of your saw the coverage on Granada Reports. I have tried looking for the link on the ITV player but unfortunately the Granada site is being rebuilt and therefore no news links are available.

Carl looked really well and relaxed and Andy couldn't grin any more if he tried! We can only imagine what a relief it is for him to have his brother back home and well on the road to recovery.

A great big thanks to Mark Crump and Everton and Liverpool fans who raised the £5,000 for the hire of the plane that took Carl home.

We would like to say a great big thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support, without you this would have been impossible.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Cabaret Night on Friday, it is going to be an amazing night.

Unfortunately all the tickets have been sold for Friday, so please do not turn up unless you do have a ticket as you won't get in.

Bring out the trumpets

Today is the day everyone has been waiting for, for a long, long time. Carl will be arriving back in England around lunch time.

WELCOME HOME CARL

Two updates for Cabaret Night

To add to the list of auction items we have a signed Stephen Ireland shirt and also another special guest will be in attendance - Manchester City's Executive Chairman Garry Cook

Sunday Mirror

Hope you spotted the article in today's Sunday Mirror. If you missed it here is a link to the article. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/03/29/support-for-manchester-city-coma-fan-115875-21237453/

I spoke to Mark on Friday, Carl's friend who will be accompanying Carl on the journey home on Wednesday along with Andy, Carl's twin brother, and he said it's going to be exciting but also quite daunting having put in a lot of hard work with maticulous planning.

Mark has said he will try to update me as and when he can but his obvious priority is Carl and I am sure everyone totally understands this, therefore updates may be sparce between now and Wednesday.

Everyone wishes you all a smooth and safe journey home.

CARL IS COMING HOME

No April Fool, honest. Next Wednesday, April 1st, Carl will be coming home. At the moment I am still trying to get more details and will update you when I can.

Thanks to everyone who has donated at collections, sent wishes and cards, donated prizes, bought tickets for the Cabaret night, played 5-a-side football with a hangover on a Sat morning etc, etc - you have all been amazing, and I am sure Carl's recovery has been boosted by the fact that there have been some fabulous people backing him and willing him on every step of his recovery.

Sell out

A huge thank you to everyone who has purchased tickets for the Cabaret Night - it is now SOLD OUT. Your support has been fantastic and it's going to be an amazing night. See you there.

Benefit 5-a-side Competition in aid of the appeal

I've received an e-mail from Alex Channon with regards to a 5-a-side competition with all benefits going to the appeal. Please contact Alex direct if you are interested or can offer to referee a game


A benefit 5-a-side competition has been organised in aid of the CARL RAMSBOTTOM APPEAL. The competition will take place at the Platt Lane Complex on Saturday 13th June with a 10-00am start. Presentation of certificates for the successful teams will take place in the Oasis Suite following the football which is scheduled to finish at 1-30pm.

Invitations are extended to any group of City fans wishing to take part.

Entrance fee is £25-00 per team with all the money going directly to the Carl Ramsbottom Appeal.

Cheques should be made payable to MCCSA and forwarded directly to myself:

Alex Channon
'Penalty Spot'
81 Milner Street
Swinton
Manchester M27 4AS

As this is a benefit competition it is hoped to obtain the FREE services of 8 Referees to control the games. Would any qualified referees out there (active or non-active) who are willing to offer their services please contact me asap.

To save on all expenses and to ensure all income goes directly to Carl and his family there will not be a buffet provided after the football.

If there's anybody out there who thinks they can raise extra money on the day by perhaps organising a decent raffle or something similar please contact me. Also if there's anybody out there who thinks they can do something to help the day go with a swing please contact me.

I am hoping to get somebody from the club or a former player to present the certificates in the Oasis Suite.

This should be a fantastic day for Blues to get together and to support a worthwhile cause.

Kind regards to all
Alex Channon

Still more prizes come rolling in

The response has been amazing for the raffle and auction prizes for the Cabaret night. We'd like to thank everyone who has donated, we really do appreciate it.

New things to add to the list:
Raffle: Signed Micah Richards framed picture
Auction: Benjani has donated a shirt from his European game

A Few Great Steps

As mentioned in an earlier post, Andy (Carl's twin brother) and 3 other friends and family members went back out last weekend to visit Carl.

Nikki Bates dropped me an e-mail to let me know the latest news. She said Carl is looking amazing and is now beginning to string words together. He has also taken a few steps unaided and also managed to walk down a flight of stairs with support. Nikki thinks he could well be walking unaided within a few weeks.

What a truly remarkable achievement for Carl in such a short space of time, and without doubt Thursday night's result in Denmark would have given him a boost as well.

I'm sure you'll all agree that Carl's recovery after such an horrific accident is astounding, and how good does he look in these photos?

Thanks Nikki for allowing me to share the pictures on the blog.

Unfortunately there is still no news of when Carl might be able to return to the UK, but if he continues the good work I'm sure it won't be too long.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK CARL, EVERYONE IS ROOTING FOR YOU.

One For The Men

MCFC Supporters are arranging a Gentleman's Morning for the last game of the season. Entertainment will be courtesy of Scouse comedian Frankie Allen and the special delights of the luscious Ay-Ling. Proceeds of the raffle will go to Carl's Appeal.
For more details go to
http://www.mcfcgentlemans.blogspot.com/

More Prizes Donated

More prizes to add to the list and another special guest -

Raffle: Pau Brasil have donated a meal for two
Auction: Joey Barton has donated a signed Newcastle shirt, and Wayne Bridge has donated his short worn at the home game against Middlesbrough which all the team who played that day have signed.
Guest: Fred Eyre - Ex-footballer, Author & Radio Presenter

Not long to go now for the Cabaret Evening... don't be disappointed, make sure you have bought a ticket!

Amazing Pictures

Andy, Carl's brother has recently returned from another visit and sent some new photos and I can't begin to tell you how amazing Carl looks in them considering they were take so soon after his recent operation.

Andy told me the operation to replace the piece of skull was a success and Carl is now able to propel himself in his wheelchair with his good foot.
Carl is currently in Dusseldorf but will be moved back to Krefeld this week.
He enjoys playing football during physio which is a really good sign and he has even managed to leave the hospital for a day out with a visit to a cafe for a capuchino and cake... another big step for Carl and a good indication that he is doing well.

As of yet there hasn't been a date set for him to return home, but Andy is going back out to Germany this Saturday (14th) and should hopefully have more news on Carl's return.

Check out this link on YouTube of some of the City Players video messages to Carl. Thanks to Marcus Rehse for the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3Tcf4p_jw

Recent Updates

I have been rather busy at several conferences in Europe for the last week so apologies for not being able to update the blog in that time.
Quite a lot of updates for everyone on the Cabaret night so here goes:

Firstly, Paul Power, Mark Lillis and Jim Cassell are also confirmed to attend.
There will also be a member of the current squad attending who will not be travelling to Arsenal but the club has not said who! The only way you will find out is to make sure you have a ticket for the event..... get them now before it's too late!

Secondly, there have been more brilliant prizes that have been donated for both the raffle and the auction. Prizes for the auction include a signed Mark Hughes training top, a Pennant signed by both Robinho and Elano, a signed Robinho shirt. Please see details in a post below regarding bids for the auctions items if you are unable to attend on the night

Raffle prizes include 4 tickets for Lancashire Cricket Club and 2 sets of 4 tickets for an upcoming game at COMS.

Don't leave it until the last minute to get your tickets and then find out they are all gone.... GET THEM NOW!

Auction Prizes

Anyone wanting to make a bid on the auction prizes but unable to attend on the night can make a phone bid to Spike or Don

Spike - 0161 775 7500 Don - 07936 105433

Cabaret Night

Sorry for the delay in this post, but work got in the way of things!

Tickets are still on sale for the charity night on Fri 3rd April at Blackley Royal British Legion.

It's going to be an amazing night for a worthy cause, so get your gladrags on, have a great night out and help the appeal... with tickets only £5 this is the bargain of the year!

Compare for the evening is James H Reeve.
DJ - Dave
Comedian - Mike Lancaster
NW Entertainer of the Year - Dom Collins
Entertainment from the Microdots
Ex City player Tommy Booth
Auction and raffle
More acts to be confirmed

Donations received so far for Raffle/Auction
* Ricky Hatton - 2 places in Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton's box at COMS for a game before the end of the season BIDS BEING TAKEN
* Signed Micah Richards framed photo BIDS BEING TAKEN
* 2 Tickets for Oasis Concert at Heaton Park (Saturday night)
* Ricky Hatton - Signed pair of gloves BIDS BEING TAKEN
* Thomas Cook - 2 x places at a Player of the Month Award
* Thomas Cook - 2 x places in the Thomas Cook box at COMS before the end of the season
* Thomas Cook - a signed City shirt from either the team or a player of your choice
* Belle Vue Dogs - VIP Tickets & meal
* The FA - 2 x tickets for a future England game at Wembley
* The FA - Signed pennant from Fabio Capello, England Manager
* El Rincon Tapas Bar - Meal for 2
* Village Hotel, Bury - meal for 4
* Sapporito Italian Restaurant, Prestwich - £30 meal voucher

Loads more prizes still coming through so come back for regular updates ..... and get your tickets quick before it's too late and they've all gone!

For tickets phone Ian on 07852 826150 or Phil on 07956 459131

We are rooting for you Carl

Next Wed (4th March) Carl will have an operation to replace the piece of his skull that was originally removed to relieve the pressure on his brain.

I am sure you will all want to wish Carl the very best so pop over to Facebook an leave your messages. (See the Facebook link in a post below)

If everything goes to plan and the operation is a success it COULD be possible that Carl could be back home by the end of March.

VERY BEST WISHES CARL

Heywood Race Night & Auction

A big thanks to everyone who attended to the Race Night & Auction in Heywood on Fri night - a grand total of £1,255 was raised on behalf of Carl's Appeal.
There will hopefully be some pictures of the event in this weeks' copy of the Heywood Advertiser.

A Great Idea - Update

Well done to all over at www.mancityfans.net for their efforts this weekend. (see post below)

The total raised was £320.72 with possibly a few more cheques to follow. ~Great effort everyone and thanks.

Well Done Boys!

Well done everyone who turned up to play or support the teams at todays' match which ended 2-2. Match report to follow but in the meantime thanks to 'shadygiz' from the Blue Moon forum for the pics. There are plenty more pictures on the Facebook page, so head on over there and see if you are on any!

Nice to see a proper warm-up before a game!!

Once again, thanks to all who participated, whether playing or supporting.

A Great Idea

A big THANKS to Lee over at http://www.mancityfans.net/ who has set the forum readers a challenge.
He is asking for everyone who reads the forum over the weekend to donate just £2 to the appeal.....as he says, do we really miss £2?
Do we need to tip £2 to the taxi driver who takes us back from the pub? Do we need to spend £2 on that pie at half-time? Do we really need to waste £2 on the sunday papers just to read the football results, check the results on the internet instead and give that £2 to Carl's Appeal.

Lee has also set up a Paypal account for people to make donations. If you are making donations through the Paypal account, please ensure your donation is a 'gift' rather than a 'payment' otherwise Paypal will keep some of it.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3402333

You need to set up a Paypal account to make a donation this way, and it's not difficult but if you don't want to set up a Paypal account but still want to make a donation, you can always send a cheque instead.

Cheques to be made payable to P&WMCFCCSA and send to Ian Ramsbottom, 12 Plant Hill Road, Blackley, Manchester M9 6NH

If you want your cheque to count towards the challenge, visit http://www.mancityfans.net/mcfnet/viewtopic.php?f=56&t=38064, PM Lee and he will send you his address.

Lee, you are a star! Thanks for the support.

Cabaret Night

Don't forget to get your tickets for the Cabaret Night, April 3rd, Blackley Royal British Legion, Victoria Avenue, Blackley.

Full details to follow shortly.

Tickets are available through Ian: 07852 826150 or Phil: 07956 459131

Blue Moon -v- Blue Watch

It's finally here! Tomorrow sees the head-to-head crunch match between both forums. Good Luck to both teams, may the best team win but most of all enjoy yourselves and remember whether you are going to play or going to support the teams, we are all there to support Carl so dig deep into your pockets and DONATE!

Please send me any photos from the event for the blog, especially team pics (with real/forum names if possible). I will also put them on the Facebook page.

Pics can be sent to ammocky@aol.com with the title Carl Ramsbottom Appeal Photos.

Thanks

New Donations

Portadown Blues' fans have donated £200 to the fund. A big thanks to you all.

If anyone can give details of the other donations that need to be added to the Roll of Honour, please leave a comment and I will update.

Comments can be left by clicking the word 'comment' below each post and following the instructions.

Facebook page now set up

The Facebook group has now been set up so if you want to go and visit and leave your messages for Carl. Just search for Carl Ramsbottom Appeal.

Fund-Raising events this week

Check the list on the right for fund-raising events this week. It would be great to see you at the Race Night in Heywood on Fri or the head-to-head match with Blue Moon Forum against Blue Watch forum at Platt Lane on Sat.

Facebook

We will shortly be setting up a Facebook page for anyone wanting to leave messages of support for Carl. The link will be put on this blog once it has been set up so don't forget to join and send the link to your mates, fan groups, other City blogs/forums.

Recent Picture

Carl's twin Brother Andrew goes over to Germany on a regular basis to visit Carl. This is a recent picture Andrew took of Carl in the Dusseldorf hospital with Mark Crump.

You can click on the photo to see a larger version.

Carl Ramsbottom Appeal

City fan Carl is making slow improvement after having spent more than three weeks in a coma after a freak accident following City’s UEFA Cup tie against Schalke last November.
After the Blues’ 2-0 win at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Carl, 44, had been travelling back to his hotel when he got caught in a crush at Düsseldorf railway station, losing his footing he fell down a stairwell and as a result suffered severe head injuries.
Doctors put him in an induced coma to help his recovery, and Carl opened his eyes for the first time shortly before Christmas. His twin brother Andrew has spent a great deal of time in Germany and the travel and medical expenses have been growing steadily.

Carl’s cousin, Ian Ramsbottom, has been desperately trying to highlight Carl’s story in order to raise much needed funds.
He said: “Carl has been transferred to Uniklinic, a rehabilitation centre on the outskirts of Düsseldorf. He’s been having speech therapy and physiotherapy and though he is still in a wheelchair, he is getting stronger all the time. He still returns to the University Hospital for CAT scans once a week where doctors continue to assess his progress.
“The surgeon had to remove apiece of Carl’s skull to relieve pressure on the brain and he still has the piece of his skull missing, but once they are satisfied with his rate of recovery, they will replace the missing piece and then continue to monitor him for three to four weeks.
“If they are happy with everything after that, he should be allowed to travel home around 10 days after. As things stand, we are hoping Carl will be coming home sometime in mid-March”

Carl will still need medical assistance on his return and there will be medical and travel expenses still to fund. A collection was organised on the concourse inside the City of Manchester Stadium prior to the Middlesbrough game and Ian has stressed money still needs to be raised to help Carl return home.
“The City fans have been unbelievable and the club are doing what they can to help” he said. “Mark Hughes and the players have sent a DVD of get well messages and we’ve had loads of cards from supporters and it’s helping him tremendously.
“We can’t thank enough the various branches of City supporters who have raised funds for Carl. The response has been fantastic and Marcus Rehse, a Schalke supporter, has managed to raise some money in Germany, while the president of Schalke recently donated €1,000.
Ian added: “We still need to raise as much as we can, so if anyone wants to help, they can call me on 07852 826150 or via the Blue Moon website”