A MEMORIAL football match is to be held for a former AFC Wallingford player and manager who died from cancer at the age of just 55.

Wallingford born and bred, Charlie Allum was a well-known and popular figure around the town before his death in June last year following a 19-month battle with Cholangiocarcinoma.

Now Mr Allum’s family has arranged a charity football match at AFC Wallingford’s ground on Saturday, July 28, at 3pm and is inviting anyone who played with, or was managed by, him to take part if they wish.

Money raised by the game will go to help the UK’s only Cholangiocarcinoma charity AMMF. There will be a charity auction after the match of signed football memorabilia.

Mr Allum played for AFC Wallingford for many years before going on to manage the club and be joined by his two sons, Chris and Andy.

Earlier this year, Chris, of Cholsey, achieved a lifetime’s ambition by completing the London Marathon running in memory of his father and wearing a running vest emblazoned with a picture of him.

With a locket around his neck containing his favourite picture of the two of them and doused in his father’s favourite scent, Brut, as a reminder of him every step of the way, Chris completed the marathon in 4:38:52, raising more than £2,500 for AMMF.

Chris, 31, said: “I was delighted to complete the marathon in memory of my father and am looking forward to continuing to raise money for AMMF, the UK’s only cholangiocarcinoma charity. The memorial match in honour of my dad on July 28 at The Hithercroft in Wallingford will be the next significant fundraising event.”

After his father was diagnosed in November 2009, Chris had stepped up the pursuit of his dream and his passion to raise money for the charity.

Chris, who returned to Wallingford AFC from Harwell International last season as club captain to honour his father, would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in playing a part in the match by email at: chrisallum101@btinternet.com. Chris is also a children’s football coach for Little Kickers.

Mr Allum was married to former Wallingford Carnival princess Julie who he had met at the age of 18 and went on to spend the rest of his life with. He left his wife, his two sons, daughter, Nicky, and four grandchildren. The town’s St Leonard’s Church was packed for his funeral with not even standing room when his coffin was carried in by his children.

As well as the football match, there is also a website for charitable donations at: www.justgiving.com/Chris-Allum.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancer that occurs in the bile ducts of the liver. It affects more than 1,800 people a year and has a survival rate of just five per cent. The charity AMMF is raising funds to further research into the causes and earlier diagnosis of it.

Visit http://www.ammf.org.uk/or to find out more or to help raise funds. AMMF has a number of organised challenges from climbing the three peaks to trekking in Morocco.