PFA back Mark Farren with incredible gesture

The Professional Footballers Association in England have donated £10,000 towards Mark Farren’s recovery.

Thanks to the intervention of Mark’s former Derry City team mate Barry Molloy, the Farren family were able to get in touch with the PFA to discuss the former Tranmere Rovers’ player’s fight against a grade four brain tumour.

As a result of those talks, the PFA, which looks after players throughout the English leagues, even after they have finished playing, donated the significant amount to Mark and his wife Terri.

The £10,000 is the latest in a long line of magnificent gestures from groups and individuals worldwide who have helped since the Farren family went public earlier this year, with over £60,000 now being raised.

The gesture from the PFA shocked both Mark and Terri, who wished to thank the PFA for their generosity.

“Barry Molloy had asked could the PFA get in contact with us,” she explained.

“We didn’t have any contacts at all so he emailed across to a few people that he knew and we managed to get in touch with a guy called Simon.

“I asked if there was anything they could do for Mark because he had played over there earlier in his career and they came back and told us they could donate and they would send a cheque in the post.

“They do have money set aside for footballers who take sick.

“Lo and behold a few weeks later there was a cheque on the post with £10,000 in it. We were totally gobsmacked with that because we never thought it would be anything like that, so we just want to thank them for their huge contribution. It’s made a big difference to the treatment that Mark can get and we’re grateful for all that.”

Mark and Terri remain hopeful of travelling to Germany rather than Mexico for the next stage of the treatment against the brain tumour.

The former Derry City player has been back in the gym recently regaining his strength and fitness ahead of the treatment, which is hoped will battle against the tumour, which has not grown since the first round of treatment.