United We Stand: Sheffield Fans in the Fight Against Cancer

Among these, there is Tracey Watson, a 60-year-old from Sheffield and a lifelong fan of Sheffield United. Her life was drastically changed when she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2009. Despite having many healthy years after her recovery, she made a difficult choice delayed by the coronavirus pandemic: Tracey had a double mastectomy and reconstruction at the start of 2023, a preventative measure taken due to the long history of breast cancer in her family.

According to the NHS, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, with 1 in 7 women being diagnosed in their lifetime. Tracey said: “After surgery, the results came back showing that I was carrying pre-cancer in my left breast. So, it was absolutely, 100% the correct decision.”

In her search for a sense of belonging, Tracey looked at several forms of support and discovered the Fans Fighting Cancer programme, an impactful initiative from the Sheffield United Community Foundation also known as Moving Forward. This programme transcends the boundaries of football, offering fans a diverse range of social and physical activities aimed at improving their quality of life.

Tracey said: “This programme is not something that I’d engaged in or heard of, so originally, I was a bit reluctant. But as I’ve come along to groups, I started doing more and more. And I think that's how a lot of us end up here. We tend to know somebody that's had cancer, so we’ll say, ‘Oh, you know, my friend's having surgery’ and we'll bring them to the group. It's a common theme, it's a club.”

Tracey became visibly emotional when asked about her friends at the programme, but she kept her smile as she said: “I don't think you can describe the programme into words. It’s a massive part of recovery, it's a massive part of processing what's happened to you, because I think a lot of people will probably tell you the same thing: you're diagnosed; you have your treatment. That's when healing process starts to begin.”

Yet a diagnosis can lead people to go into their own shell and adopt certain behaviours, such as not being able to talk to family and friends, or wanting to shield people from what they really feel. “That's why this group's so important. You can open up and say things that you probably would not want to say to your closest friends or family, because people here get it,” Tracey said. “So what's unique about this group is that we're all on a journey. We're all on slightly different journeys, but we've got one thing in common: it's a club that nobody wanted to be in, but that's where we found ourselves.”

Physical activity

Cancer treatments cause numerous side effects and have a negative impact on all body systems. A recent study published in the National Library of Medicine finds that regular physical activity boosts the wellbeing of cancer patients, improving both physical and social aspects of their lives by reducing the severity of side effects. In fact, the study shows that a mix of aerobic and resistance exercises, like the ones provided by the Foundation, help cancer survivors by lessening depression, fatigue, and physical decline and enhancing long-term quality of life, sleep, and overall happiness.

In the video below, Andrea Wade shares her experience with the Moving Forward support group and how their activities have helped her on her journey with breast cancer.

Mental health

Louise Crump is a Sheffield United fan with breast cancer who suffers from post-mastectomy pain syndrome. She shared her struggles with ingoing pain in the area she had surgery, which deeply affected her personally on both a physical and mental health level.

She said: “The biggest challenge for me was, and if I'm honest with you, still is, the fact that my body doesn't look like it was before. I'm 51 now, so that changes what I've been used to for 51 years, because suddenly, I realised my body's been taken away from me.

“The biggest thing is that I actually thought it wouldn't bother me. I thought I'd just get rid of the cancer and I wouldn't care. And I actually opted for a flat mastectomy, which means you stay flat rather than a reconstruction. And to be fair, that’s probably something that I regret now.”

Emotional burdens like regret can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression, hindering the overall wellbeing of a person. This could affect coping strategies, potentially impeding the patient's ability to focus on their current treatment and recovery. Addressing regret through counselling, support groups, and open communication with healthcare professionals is an essential factor heavily emphasised by the Community Foundation to promote mental health resilience and facilitate a more positive outlook during the challenging journey of cancer treatment.

According to the Cancer Support Community, participants in support groups can help each other feel less isolated by sharing individual experiences and exchange coping strategies. As a consequence, support groups help reduce the 3 most significant stressors associated with cancer: unwanted aloneness, loss of control, and loss of hope.

Louise said: “Before joining, I thought, do I want to be sat in a room with people that’s had cancer? And is everybody going to be fed up, everybody mourning? And I didn't think that would be right for me. But when I did start to feel well enough to go out and about, I still pushed myself to go. Probably one of the best decisions I've made to be fair because we are a really, really close group.”