'Parkinson's can't keep me from football games'

"I love good football. If it's competitive, I'll watch it."

Phil Wall is a lifelong Aston Villa fan but, after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease last year, decided he wanted to expand his football horizons before his condition deteriorates significantly.

The 58-year-old says he wants to try to see as many football teams from the West Midlands play in their stadiums and has already ticked off his beloved Villa.

"You can't keep me away, I'm really interested in British football," Mr Wall said.

Despite knocking Villa off his list as well as their opponents in the game, Wolves, Mr Wall said he still hoped to see teams including Birmingham City, Coventry City, Walsall and West Bromwich Albion.

His visit to the match in September saw him watch the game in a sensory hospitality box, courtesy of the club, after his carers had emailed every club in the region.

Villa won 3-1 and the 58-year-old said he was "ecstatic" and the volume of noise "was incredible when Aston Villa scored".

Mr Wall watched his first Villa game more than 40 years ago, becoming a season ticket holder and seeing what he called many "special moments" at Villa Park.

His football obsession began early - as a child, he said he would "tactically" get all his school homework out of the way so he could research facts about the sport for 10 hours a day at the weekend.

He spent his years working in a nursing home in Worcestershire and a supermarket, all while continuing his love for football.

That passion saw Mr Wall help behind the scenes at Worcester City and travel 13,000 miles over the years to watch the team play, which included a strong memory for him of their victory against Plymouth in the 1970s.

His diagnosis stopped him being able to regularly attend games and he moved into a care home, run by Exemplar Health Care, earlier this year.

His first request to staff at the Blackmoor Care Home in Tile Cross - get Sky Sports installed, which delighted his football-loving carers.

One of them, Anna-Marie Hale, said she really wanted to make his "wish come true in the next year before his disease progressed" and "things became more difficult".

"I'm a big football fan, we love our football in the West Midlands and we want to make it happen," she said.

There is no current cure for Parkinson's and the disease sees the brain get more damaged over many years with symptoms including tremors and memory problems.

Mr Wall said, despite his diagnosis, he would continue to try his best and take "whatever life throws at me".

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