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TORQUAY United owner and chairman Clarke Osborne has pledged to double the money raised for our former player Damon Lathrope at a special bucket collection to be held on Easter Monday for the visit of Woking.

We think this is the appropriate game for a collection, as Damon moved from Plainmoor to Woking in January and was just a few weeks into playing for his new club (v Boreham Wood) when he suffered a horrendous injury.

Damon has been given zero chance of resuming his career after sustaining life-changing damage to a number of major arteries and veins in the incident. All of us at Plainmoor want to pledge our support for Damon and his family with this collection.

Clarke has commented: “To sustain an injury of this magnitude is horrendous for a professional athlete and is devastating for Damon. I know that Torquay United’s supporters will want to show their appreciation for all his effort over two spells with the Club. The bucket collection at Easter will give the Yellow Army and our visitors from Woking the opportunity of raising money to support Damon as he rehabilitates and finds his new path in life.

“I hope this gesture of doubling the money collected at the match will help all of us give generously with the knowledge that whatever you put into the bucket is going to be matched by the Club. I am sure we all want to show Damon how highly he is regarded by everyone in the Torquay United family.”

Geoff Harrop commented: “I have looked back on some of the highs of Damon’s career at Torquay, how he became a key midfield linchpin in two play-off campaigns for the club, always providing maximum effort on the pitch. He is a terrific guy and hugely popular among all the Torquay staff and players. I am gutted for him.

“We send him our very best wishes for his recovery and in his new chosen path. Damon will always be a welcome visitor at Torquay United Football Club.”

Along with the bucket collection on Easter Monday, our friends at Woking have set up a fundraising page for Damon, which can be viewed on www.gofundme.com/damonlathrope.