Fundraiser tops £45k for former Bristol City player

A fundraiser has raised upwards of £45,000 in support of a former footballer who is receiving end-of-life care.

Marvin Brown, 42, holds the record for being Bristol City's youngest player. After making his debut at 16 in 1999, he went on to play for clubs such as Cheltenham Town, Yeovil, Weston-super-Mare and Chippenham.

Based in Calne, Wiltshire, Mr Brown is being treated for cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive and rare bile duct cancer.

A GoFundMe has been set up to support his wife Alexis and two daughters.

Marvin Brown is a well respected former player and coach

Mr Brown, previously joint manager of Corsham Town, was unable to secure life insurance due to his widespread health conditions throughout the years.

He has lived with ulcerative colitis, been diagnosed with rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and had a bout of colon cancer in 2022. He was given a stoma bag as part of his treatment.

Organiser of the fundraising page Georgie Bowden said there has been "an influx of love and warmth", adding, that the outpouring of support will form part of Mr Brown's "legacy."

"This year, he started to feel quite unwell and was very tired," Ms Bowden explained. "In August he was diagnosed with bile duct cancer, which is very rare.

"They [the family] are completely heartbroken. Alexis and Marv have been together since they were 16, they are real soulmates. You don't find love like the love they have."

A charity match has been arranged at Twerton Park, home of Bath City on 9 November at 14:00 GMT, to raise money for the family and bring together Mr Brown's footballing family.

Ms Bowden says the support from the wider community has been beyond her wildest expectations - and that the family were extremely grateful.

She said: "Alexis and Marv have got so much love and support around them.

"At the end of your life it doesn't matter how much money you have or the things that you own, it's the legacy you leave behind and how people remember you.'

"It is evident in the last week the amount of lives Marvin has touched and the impact he's had on his local community. That's a legacy which will last forever."