Charity supporters have been ‘cry’-ing tears of joy following a football match which raised more than £600 for a cause close to them.

Steven Byrnes and Emma Keen gratefully accepted a cheque for £620 on behalf of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

Together the Nuneaton-based duo have set up the ‘Claire Keen and Paul Byrne Memorial Fund’ to raise funds for the charity in memory of some much-missed relatives.

Claire Keen, who was Emma’s sister, sadly died from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in October 2005. But Miss Keen’s heartache was further compounded when her fiancé and Steven Byrne’s brother, Paul, tragically passed way in November last year after falling down steps in Germany.

It is now the duo’s determination to help others and that inspired them to set-up the memorial fund in aid of ‘CRY’, which carries out research into cardiac conditions to try and stop the growing amount of sudden deaths among young people.

Word quickly spread about their mission and it was decided that proceeds from an annual charity football match, held at the Griff and Corton Sports Club in Nuneaton between Attleborough Mills and the Old Heads, friends and veterans of the team, would be donated to the special memorial fund.

On Sunday, June 10, the footballers took to the field off Heath End Road with the Old Heads coming out the victors. But it was not about who won on the day, it was about raising money for the charity and Miss Keen is that so much cash was given to them.

“We would both like to say a big thank you for the donation, it was so kind of them”, she said.

“The money will be spent on research into cardiac conditions and screening for children as both my children will have to be tested.

“CRY are aiming to get all children tested at school when they are 14, if they are then diagnosed with a heart condition it will stop the number of sudden deaths. A lot of these conditions have little or no symptoms so aren’t picked up until it is too late. This money will help with the charity’s research.

“I would also just like to say thanks to Jason Jones, Roger Harris and everyone at the Atteleborough Mills for organising it all and donating the money to CRY.