Friends of dad who died of cancer to kick off football stadium tour in his memory

Friends of a 40 year-old who died from lung cancer last year will visit every professional football stadium in London in just one day to raise money in his memory.

Marc Ingram, a father-of-two, was diagnosed with incurable lung cancer in 2018 on Christmas Day, a diagnosis which came completely out of the blue.

In early 2020, the staunch Spurs supporter had planned for him and a group of friends to visit all 20 Premier League stadiums in just 24 hours to raise money for the Royal Marsden, where Marc was treated. But when Covid hit they had to suspend the challenge. Marc passed away 18 months later.

Close friend Joel Seager said: “Marc had this amazing ability to get tickets for sporting events, always making the most of life while he could. This trip was his ‘baby’ – he had spent months meticulously planning the route, devising spreadsheets and calculating all the petrol and time needed – that’s just part of the character he was. But Covid shattered his dream.”

At the end of the month, on Saturday 26 November, his friends will carry out part of the stadium tour in his memory. They will travel to Wimbledon, through south and west London and via Tottenham Hotspur before ending up at Wembley Stadium, where Marc enjoyed Spurs games and some of England’s Euro 2022 matches.

Seager added: “No one has a bad word to say about Marc – he is the only person in my life who I genuinely believe that about.”

Marc was married to Zoe and they have two young daughters. Zoe said: “Marc was really passionate about this. I know he really wanted it to happen so it’s really special that his friends are doing it. It’s the perfect tribute. It’s so Marc.”

Marc woke on Christmas Eve 2018 with stomach pain. The doctors thought it was appendicitis. “He had been completely fine, fit and healthy,” recalls Zoe, “and then Marc called me from the hospital to say it was cancer. Our whole world collapsed. It was an actual nightmare. Everything changed.”

Marc was treated at the Royal Marsden where he was put on a drug trial, which helped prolong his life.

“The Royal Marsden is a difficult place to be but you know you’re in the best place and it’s so important to raise money for them. They were amazing.”

You can help support Stadium Tour For Marc HERE