Former Hammers Manager Sam Allardyce has shown his softer side today by wearing a Dylan Tombides DT38 Foundation tee shirt during his Sunderland press conference today.
Dylan, who signed for West Ham in 2008, lost his brave three-year battle with testicular cancer in April 2014, at the age of just 20.
Dylan’s considerable legacy is now to be channelled through DT38, a new Foundation which is setting out to provide testicular cancer support and awareness through education and opportunity.
Whatever your your views on Sam Allardyce he deserves respect for honouring the memory of Dylan Tombides and supporting such a worthy cause in the foundation in his name.
Speaking on Goals on Sunday just after Tombides passed in 2014 Allardyce said: “We all felt so much for the parents who have supported Dylan for so long and had so much hope.
“There were so many times that young Dylan looked like he had pulled through and recovered.
“Because he loved football so much, he couldn’t wait to get back into training, even though he had been through chemotherapy and wasn’t feeling so well.
“Unfortunately it kept coming back and sadly, in the end, the brave fight was no more. It was a great shame for the family and for us, and it was a sad moment when we all found out.”
“It is a terrible disease and we have to do as much as we can to fight it,” added Allardyce. “We do that in this country through charity events.”
He had to do this?? To try and get his haters back?? Big question????.
Not really, jeez.