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Daily Record
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Second charity cup will honour teen footballer who died from one in a billion brain tumour
At just 17 years old, Max Jones was given the same devastating cancer diagnosis that claimed the lives of both his mum and gran. A brave East Kilbride teenager who lost his battle with a rare brain cancer will be remembered in a charity football match later this month. Max Jones passed away at Kilbryde Hospice on July 13, 2023 - just nine days after his 19th birthday. At 17 Max was the youngest patient to receive palliative care at Kilbryde Hospice after being diagnosed with a "one in a billion" glioblastoma diagnosis that had claimed the lives of both his mum and gran. Honouring his memory, best friends Aidan McCabe and Aiden Farrell set up the Max Jones Charity Cup last year, an annual celebration of his life, which raised an incredible £13k for Kilbryde Hospice in memory of their heroic friend. Download the Lanarkshire Live app today After last year's success the organisers are now expanding the upcoming event to include four teams: MXJ United, Kilbryde FC, Max XI and Buckfast Rovers which are made up of Max's friends and old teammates at Claremont AFC, EKYC and East Kilbride Thistle. This year's tournament will take place on June 28 at Kirktonholme's Enviro Clean Stadium. Aiden Farrell said: "We host this event in memory of Max Jones who sadly died after a year long battle with a glioblastoma brain tumour. "Max was an energetic, fit young man who was always playing football with a football club or with friends. He spent many years playing with EKYC so to use their venue is a touching tribute to the player he was. "Max spent six months under the care of the amazing inpatient unit at Kilbryde Hospice where the care and compassion was incredible. Kilbryde staff not only cared for Max but also for all his friends and family, providing some memories that will last a lifetime." In the summer of 2022, Max was given the same devastating cancer diagnosis that claimed the lives of both his mum and gran. Heartbreakingly, he was given just weeks to live when he was admitted to the Kilbryde Hospice with the "one in a billion" series of deadly brain tumours at the beginning of last year. A professional cookery student and keen footballer, Max had just won the Claremont AFC 2004s coaches' player of the year when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma aged 17. He also played for EKYC and East Kilbride Thistle over the years. He had started getting headaches and pains in his legs and the pain became so unbearable he went to Hairmyres Hospital where a CT and MRI scan discovered the 'aggressive' stage 4 tumour on his brain. Max's gran Margaret O'Kane, from Wishaw, died from glioblastoma in October 2008, aged 66, and his mum Angie Jones, from East Kilbride, died from the disease just 14 months later, aged 36. Max was the youngest patient to receive palliative care at Kilbryde Hospice. Aidan added: "I was a close friend of Max's and spent almost every day up at the hospice while he was under their care. To see the treatment that patients receive first-hand is unbelievable and I will never forget all the things they did for us and they continue to be a great support to the whole friend group. "The hospice gave Max a new lease of life at a time where there was no hope left in his battle with cancer and for that we are eternally grateful. "So come along on June 28 to Enviro Clean Stadium and support your local hospice. They need us and we will never know when we might need them." Tickets for the event cost £5 and gates will open at 11am with the first kick off at 12pm. The tournament will consist of four games, two semi-finals, a third place playoff and a final with the final set to finish close to 5pm. Raffle tickets will be on sale throughout the day for £1 and supporters can also have a go at a tombola which will be £1 for three shots. Entertainment for the kids on the day will include a penalty shoot-out. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook?
Daily Record
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
New East Kilbride Thistle boss promises Showpark shake-up when he takes reins this summer
East Kilbride Thistle have appointed Stephen Kane as their new manager after Mark Steele stepped down last month. And the latest man in the Showpark hot-seat has promised a complete overhaul of the squad in the summer as they look to make an impact in the West of Scotland Fourth Division next season. Controversy has surrounded the appointment, with the Jags reneging on a deal to keep Steele in charge for next season. The club publicly announced on March 31 that Steele has signed a new deal to take the Jags for the 2025/26 campaign, but a fortnight later Steel 'reluctantly' stepped down after discovering the club were working in the background to recruit a different manager to lead them. That candidate has been revealed to be Kane, who has been in charge of Scottish Amateur outfit Glebe Hibernian for the last five years and guided the team to a 20-month unbeaten run in the Saturday Morning Premier League. Kane will not take the reins until the end of the season with Steele's assistant John Hughes taking the team for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign. But the former Forth, Wishaw and Thorniewood midfielder has plans for a big Showpark shake-up this summer. The 29-year-old said: 'I'm excited to get started but I am not taking the team until after the end of the season. I think that is the best thing to do in terms of me being able to focus on recruitment. 'It would be difficult to juggle the current team and what I am looking to do. 'It is best for me to come in at the end of the season with a clean slate. 'I have had a good run at it in the amateurs and I have about 12 or 13 bodies coming with me to Thistle, plus my own management staff, next season. 'There's a few experienced players I will bring in from there and try to make an impact in Division Four next season.' On his appointment, he added: 'I was speaking to East Kilbride Thistle before the previous manager [Steele] was appointed, so I always thought there was a chance it would come up again in the summer. 'He has left now and the club has appointed me, so I'm looking forward to next season. 'I'm looking to get a team on the park that can improve on this season's performance. 'Hopefully we can get some people through the gates as well. When I've been at games recently, it [the Showpark] has been quite bare so it is trying to get the club back on the map. 'Division Four is a hard league. There's good teams in it, but anyone can beat anyone really. It looks to me like they are all 50/50 games.' Kane admits it will be a short summer for the club, as he is keen to get started and implement a new schedule. He said: 'We are looking to start pre-season at the end of June. We will be in earlier than most because of all the new players coming in. 'We'll be looking at 20 new bodies coming in and we'll be training three times a week, rather than twice, which will be a wee bit different for everyone. 'It is usually twice a week at this level but the gym the guys have at the Showpark now gives me an opportunity to do another session together through the week.'
