Soccer showed its heart at Canvey's Park Lane ground when £1,750 was raised for leukaemia sufferer Candy Bloomfield.

Despite the importance of the footballing occasion - Canvey and opponents St Alban's City are both in the Ryman League Premier Division battle for honours - on-field hostilities were forgotten as players, officials and fans joined forces in the cash-raising efforts.

VIP - Candy with dad Lee at the match Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

Five-year-old Candy's family, who live in Chelmsford, are friends of Gulls player Steve Parmenter who had already raised more than £400 towards giving the youngster a holiday at EuroDisney.

Cash raised at the weekend will be presented to Great Ormond Street Hospital where she undergoes treatment.

The youngster was one of two Canvey mascots for the day and, proudly wearing team colours, was carried out to the centre circle for the pre-match spinning of the coin.

St Alban's fans raised more than £700 with much of it coming from followers who travelled to the match by train and, after reading of Candy's plight on the island club's website, decided to match what they spent on fares and booze on the day by contributing to the collection.

Other visiting fundraising came from those who travelled on the official supporters coach - one young fan collecting more than £100 by completing a sponsored silence for the journey to Essex.

Other cash from home followers came from a bucket collection on the day and an after-match auction of soccer memorabilia which included a signed framed photograph of Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira.

Published Monday, April 7 , 2003

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