A charity football match took place at Olive Grove Sports Club, dedicated to the memory of Doctor Kirsty Smitten, who died at 29 due to heart cancer.
Dr Smitten was the club captain of Sheffield’s AFC Norton Woodseats Ladies football team, who released yellow balloons in a symbolic tribute before the charity match to honour her memory.
Ebony Deans, a team member of AFC Norton Woodseats Ladies, said: “Kirsty in terms of everything you need to start it, money, fundraising, kits, a place to play, training, Kirsty did absolutely everything and she was the brains of the team.
I think it’s a death in one word is unfair, she was definitely the last person on earth that should have gone that way and she didn’t deserve any of it obviously.”
“She was a scientist and she made antibiotics for the future to cure to help diseases, so she was always there for helping other people so she was the last should have gone this way.” Deans added.
The event showcased a match between the current AFC Norton Ladies and their former teammates, with all proceeds from the match channelled towards Sarcoma UK and Kirsty’s family.
Ms Deans said: “It’s definitely a Kirsty thing. If one of her friends died this way, she would do it in a heartbeat, set up a football match and all that stuff,
“I think it raises a lot of awareness because the cancer she had was very rare, it was one in 36 million I believe and only two people get it a year, because you never know, I mean it happens to Kirsty, it can happen to anyone.”
Helen Hague, parent of a football team member said: “This is a great opportunity to raise awareness for Sarcoma. Obviously not many people know about it, so it’s brilliant. Lots of people have turned out, great spirit at the game.”
Apart from charity football matches, Kirsty also established ‘Football for Foodbanks’, a women’s football group that has been operating since 2020. The group is dedicated to fundraising for food banks.
The football group started in Sheffield and 70% of their profits go to the food bank.
Al Rhind-Tutt, co-founder of Football for Foodbanks said: “Kirsty was always very determined, very hardworking. She was really passionate about sports and science,
“And she did a lot of work for our football team in making sure that things were running, setting up events, promoting us on social media and raising funds.
“When she got diagnosed with cancer, she continued that by promoting by setting up support groups on social media, logging her own journey.”
The enduring tribute to Kirsty’s legacy, showcased in the charity football match and her continued influence through Football for Foodbanks, stands as a testament to an extraordinary individual. Her fervour for sports, science, and community remains a lasting source of inspiration.
Mrs Rhind-Tutt added: “I think she did it because she is fundamentally a good person and she wanted to and she knew that she could use her skills to benefit the community as a whole rather than just herself.”