Danny Wilson, Oleks Zinchenko, a Ukrainian boy and MCFC

Didsbury Dave said:
I'm here mate, at work. Mrs D this morning took Myla to a job interview at a cafe, sat with her translating and then took her home. I did take Timur to school but since then I've divided my time between working and popping on here.

You're not far wrong then.
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When you wrote the other day that you find the loss of privacy difficult, I could imagine that's true. I recently spoke to a very good friend of mine who lived in Russia for ages and married a Ukrainian here. They went back to the UK 5 years ago and unfortunately her husband then had a massive stroke, so is in full-time care. But my friend now has her Ukrainian adult step-daughter and two small kids living with her along with her own two boys (who are 10 and 12, I think).

She said that the lack of privacy (a tendency to enter rooms with closed doors without knocking, for instance) without was the biggest issue as well. People from the former eastern bloc and the Soviet Union sometimes have less of a concept of personal space than people in the west, and I can kind of see why having lived here a long time. I hope they can get used to accommodating you a bit more in that respect and make things a bit easier.

It's a horrible situation that's brought this about. I wish Timur and his mum as well as your family all the best.

EDIT - I hope City keep on doing their bit as well. That must give Timur a big boost.
 
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Didsbury Dave said:
Not the dust is settling I thought I'd share with you my tale of the way Manchester City have acted behind the scenes and changed a young and shattered life for the better.

We took a small Ukrainian family from the war in April of this year. A mother and her 13 year old son, Myla and Timur,they arrived at Manchester Airport traumatised and confused. They'd left their beds one early morning and fled, after hearing bombs, leaving their dad behind. On the way to the border the lady who'd joined them had a heart attack and passed her ten year old on to them, so she could find a hospital. The three of them ended up being picked up by a strange car at 3am, freezing cold, in the middle of nowhere, who thankfully turned out to be a volunteer who took them across the border. They ended up in Prague in a little hotel and that's where we found them and arranged their travel. Whilst my wife hassled the government and the MP they found out that their husband/father had been conscripted to a bunker in a school basement somewhere, despite never having held a gun in his life.

This was the state of play when they arrived. They spoke little English but Timur was football crazy and got very animated when I asked him about Oleks Zinchenko. I bought him a ticket for the Real Madrid home game the following week and we set about trying to build them a new life. The Real game was his first ever game and he was so excited (although he didn't even realise it was two legs until the car journey home!) He was up on his seat giving it "City! City!" like a proper blue.

After a few people suggested it, I emailed Danny Wilson to tell him about Timur. Danny's an old friend from years ago but I haven't seen him in a long time. He was straight on the phone and the next thing you know he organised four Tunnel Club tickets from me, Timur and my boys, for the Watford game. We went and had a wonderful time and then after the game Danny came over and whisked us downstairs to the dressing room area. Out came Oleks Zinchenko, had a long chat with Timur who was by now dying of excitement, and made several videos for him to send to his Dad, brother and friends. Oleks gave him his mobile number and asked him to stay in touch. I had a beer with Danny in the Tunnel Club after and he offered match tickets for Timur for any game and concert tickets for Myla for all of the concerts at the Etihad this summer.

Timur was now a massive blue, watching the games face to face or on the telly with me and my boys. Last week Danny Wilson, unprompted, got in touch with me again and sorted out Timur a ticket for the Villa game up with us. He even offered to give us all tickets but I'm a season ticket holder already, had bought tickets for my boys and didn't want to take the piss. Oh how excited Tumur was now, until Thursday of this week when his phone went and he was suddenly talking to Zinchenko again. He offered him a place in his family's box for the game. Wow. But this wasn't even the end of the story because as I was waiting for the bus meet, about 1.30pm on Sunday, and Timur and my boys were having a burger at City Square, Danny Wilson rang me again. It was only a quick walk to where he was at City@Home, and there he presented me with Olek's shirt, signed by the whole squad. Any of you with kids will know that a player's shirt is literally the holy grail these days. You should have seen Timur's face.

So we won the league, with Timur witnessing it wearing Oleks' shirt,with the Zinchenko (and Cancelo and De Bruyne) family. He got photos of himself with Zin's winner's medal. The head master of Timur's School in Ukraine (which is still running lessons!) held an assembly on Monday morning and showed the picture to the whole school (or what's left of them) who applauded wildly. Timur has talked of nothing else. He's built a little shrine to Manchester City in his bedroom. He walks around the house in a City scarf chanting "City!" at random

Danny Wilson and Oleks Zinchenko sought no publicity over this. They did it, to quote Danny, to "let him be a part of something special". They changed the life of a deeply distressed and depressed little boy and gave him happiness and hope when he needed it the most. What a credit they both are to MCFC, and how proud I am of the club I love.
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Danny Wilson does so much good for people, he is a genuine decent guy who really tries to help whenever he can. Long may it continue, what a great story Dave and well done to you and your family
 
petrusha said:
When you wrote the other day that you find the loss of privacy difficult, I could imagine that's true. I recently spoke to a very good friend of mine who lived in Russia for ages and married a Ukrainian here. They went back to the UK 5 years ago and unfortunately her husband then had a massive stroke, so is in full-time care. But my friend now has her Ukrainian adult step-daughter and two small kids living with her along with her own two boys (who are 10 and 12, I think).

She said that the lack of privacy (a tendency to enter rooms with closed doors without knocking, for instance) without was the biggest issue as well. People from the former eastern bloc and the Soviet Union sometimes have less of a concept of personal space than people in the west, and I can kind of see why having lived here a long time. I hope they can get used to accommodating you a bit more in that respect and make things a bit easier.

It's a horrible situation that's brought this about. I wish Timur and his mum as well as your family all the best.

EDIT - I hope City keep on doing their bit as well. That must give Timur a big boost.
Click to expand...
It’s the hardest thing of all about all this. I’d write more but Timur has been told about this thread.

He got battered today at school because of it and I’ve just had to deal with the fallout from that. FFS.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
It’s the hardest thing of all about all this. I’d write more but Timur has been told about this thread.

He got battered today at school because of it and I’ve just had to deal with the fallout from that. FFS.
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Maybe a boxing club or martial art could help out.....able to defend himself if needed and could help him find some pals outside of your bubble....never known a martial art class that's been a non-supportive environment.

If it suits, I can suggest a family orientated karate class that I attended a few years ago. They have a class in Altrincham/Timperley and it's easily walkable from Timperley met, maybe he and Mum could go together?
 
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Didsbury Dave said:
Not the dust is settling I thought I'd share with you my tale of the way Manchester City have acted behind the scenes and changed a young and shattered life for the better.

We took a small Ukrainian family from the war in April of this year. A mother and her 13 year old son, Myla and Timur,they arrived at Manchester Airport traumatised and confused. They'd left their beds one early morning and fled, after hearing bombs, leaving their dad behind. On the way to the border the lady who'd joined them had a heart attack and passed her ten year old on to them, so she could find a hospital. The three of them ended up being picked up by a strange car at 3am, freezing cold, in the middle of nowhere, who thankfully turned out to be a volunteer who took them across the border. They ended up in Prague in a little hotel and that's where we found them and arranged their travel. Whilst my wife hassled the government and the MP they found out that their husband/father had been conscripted to a bunker in a school basement somewhere, despite never having held a gun in his life.

This was the state of play when they arrived. They spoke little English but Timur was football crazy and got very animated when I asked him about Oleks Zinchenko. I bought him a ticket for the Real Madrid home game the following week and we set about trying to build them a new life. The Real game was his first ever game and he was so excited (although he didn't even realise it was two legs until the car journey home!) He was up on his seat giving it "City! City!" like a proper blue.

After a few people suggested it, I emailed Danny Wilson to tell him about Timur. Danny's an old friend from years ago but I haven't seen him in a long time. He was straight on the phone and the next thing you know he organised four Tunnel Club tickets from me, Timur and my boys, for the Watford game. We went and had a wonderful time and then after the game Danny came over and whisked us downstairs to the dressing room area. Out came Oleks Zinchenko, had a long chat with Timur who was by now dying of excitement, and made several videos for him to send to his Dad, brother and friends. Oleks gave him his mobile number and asked him to stay in touch. I had a beer with Danny in the Tunnel Club after and he offered match tickets for Timur for any game and concert tickets for Myla for all of the concerts at the Etihad this summer.

Timur was now a massive blue, watching the games face to face or on the telly with me and my boys. Last week Danny Wilson, unprompted, got in touch with me again and sorted out Timur a ticket for the Villa game up with us. He even offered to give us all tickets but I'm a season ticket holder already, had bought tickets for my boys and didn't want to take the piss. Oh how excited Tumur was now, until Thursday of this week when his phone went and he was suddenly talking to Zinchenko again. He offered him a place in his family's box for the game. Wow. But this wasn't even the end of the story because as I was waiting for the bus meet, about 1.30pm on Sunday, and Timur and my boys were having a burger at City Square, Danny Wilson rang me again. It was only a quick walk to where he was at City@Home, and there he presented me with Olek's shirt, signed by the whole squad. Any of you with kids will know that a player's shirt is literally the holy grail these days. You should have seen Timur's face.

So we won the league, with Timur witnessing it wearing Oleks' shirt,with the Zinchenko (and Cancelo and De Bruyne) family. He got photos of himself with Zin's winner's medal. The head master of Timur's School in Ukraine (which is still running lessons!) held an assembly on Monday morning and showed the picture to the whole school (or what's left of them) who applauded wildly. Timur has talked of nothing else. He's built a little shrine to Manchester City in his bedroom. He walks around the house in a City scarf chanting "City!" at random

Danny Wilson and Oleks Zinchenko sought no publicity over this. They did it, to quote Danny, to "let him be a part of something special". They changed the life of a deeply distressed and depressed little boy and gave him happiness and hope when he needed it the most. What a credit they both are to MCFC, and how proud I am of the club I love.
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Fucking brilliant that mate and fair play to you and your family. We wish we had the space as we’d have taken a family in but couldn’t do so currently.
Well done.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
Thanks for all the comments but I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable about everyone telling me how great I am. My wife drove this whole thing and I just said yes. The selfish part of me regularly regrets it.

I’m just going along with this thing and trying to do the best I can. I didn’t start this thread for any other reason than that I think Danny and Oleks should get some appreciation for what they’ve done, not me.
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Mate you saying yes was more than enough, and we’d all feel a little uncomfortable about that loss of privacy but fair play for sticking at it.

Now
 
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