Joe Osben - Charity Auction

3rd November 2004

WEST Ham United is proud to be involved in a charity auction to help raise money for former Academy player Joe Osben, who was badly injured in a traffic accident earlier this year. The 11-year-old, who was born in Basildon, had been a member of the West Ham United Academy for three years and playing as a striker scored regularly for the Under-9, Under-10 and Under-11 teams.

The youngster had just moved on to become part of Southend United's youth system and was looking forward to continuing his encouraging progress when tragedy struck in June this year.

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While out riding his bike Joe was knocked down by a car, suffering serious head injuries. He spent five weeks in a coma, and for months after the accident was recovering in intensive care in King's College Hospital. After the accident doctor's did not think Joe would survive, and his progress has exceeded all expectations.

Joe, who had been involved with the West Ham United Academy since the age of six, was transferred to Basildon Hospital to continue his recovery, and has now moved to a rehabilitation clinic just outside Brighton, where he is making slow but steady progress.

Joe's former coach, Stuart Slater, who was a Hammers player between 1985 and 1993, said: "Joe is very close to my heart. He always did well for me on the pitch and had a great character."

Staff at the Academy have been following Joe's recovery closely, and since the accident his family and friends have worked tirelessly to raise money for his rehabilitation, as well as promoting awareness of the importance for children to wear helmets at all times when cycling.

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Joe's dad, Steve, emphasises the importance of children wearing helmets while riding their bikes: "If Joe had been wearing a helmet, we've been told there is an 85 per cent chance he would be okay today.

"We have been told that Joe will make a 70 per cent recovery in terms of brain damage, but I hope that he will go past that. He can now move all his limbs very slightly, but he has to have more operations on his legs and doctors think it might be another six to 12 months before he can walk again.

"I don't know how I have got through these past few months, but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel now."
Academy coach Stuart Slater has already helped organise a charity golf day, when a host of Hammers stars past and present teed off to help raise funds for Joe's hospital ward.

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Now the Club have set-up a special auction site on behalf of Joe and his family to help raise money for his treatment and promote awareness so that similar tragedies can be avoided. The auction will run for the next 28 days and the four prizes on offer are: