Dying dad selling prized signed Pele and Beckham shirts to give kids one last magical family holiday to Disney

Dying dad selling prized signed Pele and Beckham shirts to give kids one last magical family holiday to Disney The lifelong football fan spent more than two decades building his prized collection, but is selling them to give his family one last magical holiday A dad given months to live after his brain cancer returned is selling his treasured collection of signed football shirts to give his children one last magical family holiday. Liverpool fan Chris Capstick, 41, hopes to raise £7,000 by auctioning off 57 signed shirts so he can take his wife Lauren and their daughters, Mila, 10, Isabella, six, and two-year-old Nylah, to Disney World in Florida. The dad-of-three, from the Wirral, was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 2023 and, after undergoing gruelling treatment, was told he was in remission. But eight months ago the cancer returned and this time doctors told him it was terminal, giving him less than 12 months to live. Despite his devastating diagnosis, Chris said he was continuing to fight. He said: “I had six tumours on the brain and now there is one. I am fighting it all the way.” As he comes to terms with his prognosis, Chris said he still has two final wishes - seeing England win the World Cup and giving his daughters memories they will treasure forever. To make that happen, he has decided to part with his prized football memorabilia collection, which he began building in his late teens. He said: “I started collecting football shirts when I was 19 or 20. I am a massive Liverpool fan. When I saw a shirt I wanted, I just went for it.” Among the collection are signed shirts linked to football legends including David Beckham, Pele, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland. It also features memorabilia from Liverpool heroes Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Stan Collymore and John Barnes. The shirts are expected to raise around £7,000 when they go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, although they could fetch even more. Chris, who works for the Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “The shirts are currently in the loft. My wife Lauren has been on at me to get rid of them, so now I have decided to do so and take the girls to Disney World on a trip that would mean the world to them.” Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “People sell prized possessions for all sorts of reasons, but there could be no better reason than why Chris is selling his beloved collection. We wish him and his family all the best and hope this sale can make at least one of their dreams come true.” Chris’s collection will be auctioned at Hansons’ saleroom in Etwall, Derbyshire, on June 22.