Meet the Macclesfield FC fan donating football boots to underprivileged children
By Alex Greensmith
16th Apr 2023 | Local News
Amid the title glory, and another promotion secured for The Silkmen, there is already plenty to praise at our town's new football club.
But there is one man that should also be celebrated.
David Normington is a name most Silkmen fans won't know. But they should.
The 83-year-old, who has probably supported The Silkmen for longer than you, is devoting his free time to support grassroots football.
As a young lad growing up in Bollington, he remembers going to his first game 75 years ago.
He volunteered for St. John's Ambulance as a teenager, which included watching games at the Moss Rose.
He then went on to have a long career as a nurse at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, and also worked at the old Parkside Hospital in Macclesfield.
The father-of-two still goes to games with his brother to this day. But it is a new project the fan has started to support grassroots football that has captured hearts and minds.
The retiree has given hundreds of football boots to The Savage Foundation, spending his own money on shoes to spruce up and donate to those less fortunate.
"I have loved football all my life, and it has been playing on my mind all these years that I wanted to do something to give back to the footballing world," said David,
"There are children on the Moss Estate that can't afford a pair of boots. And I was in the same position as a kid. My dad bought me a pair of boots, but I could only wear them for pleasure [and not to play with as it was expensive].
"Robbie Savage first did a callout about asking for football boots, and I thought 'what a good idea that is'.
"So I decided to start doing that. I enjoy the process of collecting them, cleaning them and giving something back to the club.
"I started collecting boots two years ago, when Macclesfield FC was still coming together as a phoenix club.
"I went round the charity shops and struck up a partnership with the lovely team at Headway charity shop in Poynton.
"They first offered me 20 pairs of boots for just £10, which was amazing and very generous of them.
"Helen Share, the Manager there promised she would get more for me, and she even delivers some to my front door. I am very pleased and grateful for what she has done.
"My ambition is to give back to football, after all the joy it has given me throughout the years. I've supported the club since I was seven years old."
David spends his own money on buying the boots, and the energy bills into cleaning them. He'll add new laces to them, polish them, and even change the studs if necessary.
Some boots can't be cleaned in the washing machine, so he often meticulously restores them by hand. David reckons he has spend hundreds of pounds on the project thus far.
Including his current inventory, David has breathed new life into 70 pairs of football boots, providing an entry level into the sport for some of Macclesfield's youngest footballers.
Many of the boots have only been worn two or three times, as kids outgrow football boots quickly, meaning they look brand new after David has given them some TLC.
The Savage Foundation aims for Macclesfield FC to "become the place to be for all local youngsters who want to develop their footballing skills in a safe and secure environment, whilst creating strong friendship networks."
And with the help of David's donated boots, it makes the sport more accessible to everyone, getting closer to achieving that mission statement.
David's altruism has earned him fans across the globe, with one of his three sons posting about his father's efforts on social media.
One post was seen by tens of thousands of people - which is enough to fill the Leasing.com Stadium.
And David could very well reach into the thousands for the number of boots he will donate in the future.
"For as long as The Savage Foundation runs, I'll be doing this", added David.
"The comments from people saying what I am doing is terrific, it keeps me going. Thank you.
"I'm a firm believer that kids are the roots of football. If you look after them, the kids will foster a lifelong love of the sport and want to come support clubs like Macclesfield."
Another unsung hero in David's story, brain injury charity shop manager Helen Share had this to say about the local pensioner's project.
"David first came in to Headway Poynton earlier this year and was such a gentleman", said Helen.
"We actually don't sell a lot of boots so we were delighted to sell him them at a special offer.
"He kept coming in so we had to ask 'David, how many children have you got' and that's when we found out about his special project for The Savage Foundation.
"So I made it a mission to collect them for him, because I thought it was such a wonderful thing he was doing."
If you've got some children's boots (or teenage) knocking about the house and want to donate them to David's project, just donate them at to Headway Poynton and mention this Macclesfield Nub News article.
There is parking outside of the shop, which is open seven days a week.
"There are so many children in Macclesfield that are less fortunate that others that are now enabled to play football thanks to David," added Helen.
"His work is highly commendable. For him to come in his spare time every few weeks and get more boots is amazing, he is so dedicated.
"It is so heartwarming, and we are honoured to play a small part in that.
"It is a win-win situation, we're helping him, he's helping us, and we're both helping the children."
Macclesfield Nub News is set to meet with The Savage Foundation to find out about how David's donations are much appreciated.
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