Maurice Hepworth releases charity book on football, family and faith | OneFootball

Former Sunderland AFC player Maurice Hepworth, a member of the 1973 squad, has released his book 'Add to you, Lessons from a life of Football, Family and Friends', with all money raised going to two charities.

According to Sunderland Echo, the memoir ranges well beyond football. Weeks before the 1973 FA Cup final he suffered a near-fatal injury at Roker Park, was rushed to Sunderland Royal Hospital and underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured bowel and spleen, which ruled him out.

His playing days ended in 1978 at 25 with Arcadia Shepherds in South Africa when a centre forward's challenge broke his tibia and fibula. He says he sensed, even in the pain, that God was with him, marking the start of his faith journey.

In 2008 he was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer and underwent a prostatectomy. He recalls a consultant making clear his prognosis was poor and says facing death changed his life, crediting wife Megan and his faith.

Hepworth says he wrote the book to share lessons from football, family and friends and to support others facing hardship, rather than to profit. He hopes that helping even one reader would make it worthwhile.

He launched the book on Sunday, 13 September, at his parish church, St George's in Harraton, joined by close friend and Sunderland legend Kevin Ball. The chosen charities are Daft as Brush, which transports patients with cancer and for which Hepworth volunteers as a driver, and Shalom Ministries in South Africa. The book costs £12.99 and is available on Kindle, Amazon, Waterstones and other bookshops.

Source: Sunderland Echo

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