Staff and volunteers at Trinity Hospice have helped to make the final wish of a terminal patient come true – to see his beloved Blackpool FC play one last time.

As a young boy, Russell Law always dreamed of being a footballer. Now, 64 and suffering with a terminal illness, he told staff at the Bispham-based hospice how much he would love to see the Seasiders in action, while he still could.

And his dream came true, when he was able to pay a last visit to Bloomfield Road to see his team take on Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers. Despite the score finishing 2-0 in the Rovers’ favour, Russell was still over the moon just to be able to be there.

Last year Russell, found himself in intensive care with kidney failure and pneumonia. Following a series of subsequent tests, he received the devastating news that he had terminal prostate cancer just before Christmas.

Determined to remain positive, Russell, who now lives at the Glenthorne Rest Home in Blackpool, continued to pursue his love of walking, and cheering on the Seasiders. But as his health deteriorated, his much-loved walks and visits to Bloomfield Road became less and less.

He said: “My lack of mobility came as a huge shock to me and really brought me down. I was no longer able to do the things that I enjoyed the most.

Russell was referred to the Day Therapy Unit at Trinity Hospice to help manage his symptoms and maintain his independence.

He said: “I wasn’t sure about the idea of going to the hospice at first as I didn’t know what to expect, but it was completely different to how I thought it would be.

“It’s such a life-affirming place. Staff and volunteers helped me to write a bucket list of things I would like to do while I am still able. As a Blackpool FC fan, I have always continued to keep up with the fixtures as much as possible, but my dream was to be able to soak up the atmosphere at a game, at least one last time.”

Day Therapy Unit Manager, Deborah Wood, saw what Russell had penned on his bucket list and got to work to see if she could help.

She said: “Every patient is encouraged to make a bucket list when they come to Trinity. It’s so important that we can help people have these experiences, wherever we can.

“Our teams got in touch with our friends at Blackpool Football Club and, together with the help of one of our volunteers, we were so delighted to be able to make Russell’s wish come true.”