Partick Thistle Football Club

Two Partick Thistle stars helped present a cheque for £3500 - raised by Indesit staff - to Monklands Hospital on Thursday 28th January.

Allan MacKenzie - son of Jags' 1950s legend John, "the Firhill Flyer" - has been receiving treatment for acute leukaemia in the Airdrie hospital's haematology ward.

And Thistle's Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Jonny Tuffey and midfielder Bryan Hodge joined Allan to hand over the magnificent sum - raised by the East Kilbride man and his work colleagues - to thank the hospital's staff.
Allan, 50, from Oak Fern Drive, Stewartfield, said: "I was diagnosed in November 2008, which was a major shock for me and for my family.

"During this initial shock, and throughout my treatment, the nurses and doctors here have been absolutely brilliant and are the reason I'm alive and kicking today.

"I wanted to give something back and with the help of colleagues at Indesit and the generosity of our friends and family, we managed to raise a fantastic total of £7000 from raffles.

"We're splitting the money between the ward here and Leukaemia Research.
"I didn't expect to raise so much but we're delighted to be able to help the ward to continue their excellent work."

Senior charge nurse Margaret Smith, from Coatbridge, said: "We were very pleasantly surprised when Allan told us he was going to donate some money to us but we had no idea it would be so much.

"Allan has been receiving chemotherapy for the past 14 months and over that length of time you not only get to know the patient very well, you also become close with their family.

"It's a fantastic gesture and we will be able to use the money to buy the little extras which help give the patients a boost and they will help us decide the best way to spend it."

Thistle's Northern Ireland stopper Tuffey said: "We're glad to be able to help Allan present this cheque and to highlight the work of the medical staff.

"They deserve a medal for the care they give their patients every day.

"It's great to meet the son of a true Thistle legend and we all aspire to John MacKenzie's achievements.

"We wish Allan all the best and hopefully he makes a full recovery."

Also in attendance were Allan's wife Irene, daughter Kirsty, 22, and son Andrew, 18.