MADDOG AND THE MNDA
HOME | NEWS |
|
MARK MADDOX R.I.P. (1973-2023)
In summer 2023 Altrincham FC supporters, staff and former players, as well as many others in the non-League world, were saddened to learn of the death of iconic former centre-half and captain, Mark Maddox, at the age of fifty.
Altrincham FC announced that "Everyone at Altrincham Football Club is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Mark Maddox, who had, remarkably, lived with Motor Neurone Disease for over 12 years.
Mark was a colossal human being and a true legend of Altrincham Football Club, making over 326 starts and 22 substitute appearances between 1996-2006.
Our deepest condolences to Mark's wife, Jayne and three children, Sonny, Vinny and Beau at this saddest of times for the Maddox family.
Right: Mark is pictured after Altrincham had won a penalty shoot-out 4-2 at Nuneaton in a Nationwide North Play-Off Semi-Final Match, which set Alty on the way to eventual promotion back to the Football Conference in 2005.
The Manchester Evening News adds that "Non-league football legend Mark Maddox has died after living with motor neurone disease for 12 years. Mark, nicknamed 'Mad Dog', made over 300 appearances for Altrincham FC..
In 2010, shortly after beginning a career away from Altrincham in management, Mark was diagnosed with the terminal muscle-wasting condition MND and told he had just two to five years to live. The dad-of-three (Sonny, Vinny and Beau), nicknamed 'Mad Dog' due to his whole-hearted approach to the game, began a remarkable fund-raising and awareness campaign that would see him become the first person with MND to complete the London Marathon, do a parachute jump and record an album with his band Last of a Dying Breed.
In 2021 his campaigning was praised in Parliament by his friend, Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who highlighted Mark's story to call on the Government to do more to help MND sufferers. He said: "Mark was told at diagnosis that he would be lucky to live beyond a year; that was 11 years ago.
'Mark believes that the love and support he receives from his family—his wife in particular—his friends and often complete strangers have helped him to get through to this day. Over the past decade, however, Mark has become increasingly frustrated with the Government’s lack of understanding of people with motor neurone disease and their families and of its devastating effects. He wants change.'
Liverpool-born Mark first joined Alty from Sunday football in 1996. After a brief spell with Barrow, he returned to Moss Lane in December 1998 and went on to play 348 times for the Robins... After leaving Alty, Maddox both played for and managed fellow non-Leaguers Leigh Genesis.
Mark Maddox was an inspirational captain and player for Altrincham FC between 1996 and 2006 and after retiring he provided inspiration to thousands of fellow-sufferers of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) with his fundraising and publicity work for the MND Association. Not only did he play football and complete marathons after being affected by the Disease, Mark became an early figurehead of the Association's activities.
A lion-hearted centre-half and captain of the team, details of Mark's career at Altrincham FC are to be found in Terry Rowley's Alty Legends appreciation.
Amongst the early fundraising initiatives involving Mark was the following event...
In October 2013 before a game against Guiseley a number of current Altrincham players posed for photos to assist the publicity campaign for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA). The MNDA seeks to raise funds and to make people more aware of the disease. Above, we see Mark Maddox's former team-mate, goalkeeper Stuart Coburn, "saving" the MNDA's striking poster which features Mark.