MALVERN Town will be collecting funds on behalf of the Motor Neurone Disease Association at Friday's match with Brimscombe & Thrupp in memory of former manager and chairman Paul Pallett on the 10th anniversary of his untimely death. 

Pallett, the father of Midlands Today presenter Dan Pallett, died back in January 2013 having contracted Motor Neurone Disease, something that meant he had to take a step back from his role at the football club. 

Paul's relationship with Malvern began in December 1998 when he became The Hillsiders’ Youth Team manager.

From there he progressed to the Reserves, a role he did for eight years before being voted into the Chairmanship, a position he held for five years.

Pallett oversaw three years spent in The Southern League, the club’s highest-ever position within the League Pyramid before he spent some time away.

But given his affection for everything Malvern Town, Pallett returned to look after the Reserves once more during a difficult period for the club on and off the pitch.

Unfortunately, by November 2012 his Motor Neurone Disease had started to take a hold and he was forced to step down. He died 13 months later.

Dan Pallett knew how much football and Malvern meant to his father and so he wanted to help set-up the collection at the game this Friday, a match which Paul would have no doubt been incredibly excited about given The Hillsiders' promotion chances this season.

"Dad lived and breathed football," recalled Pallett fondly. "He’d played when he was young, watched West Bromwich Albion from the terraces and then became a referee for 15 years.

"He was agonisingly close to getting onto The Football League’s Referees List but didn’t quite make it before the cut-off point of 40.

"After that, the only thing left was coaching and he did that with Malvern Town, which ended up leading to him becoming Chairman of the club and all the demands which come with that role.

"He absolutely loved it, though, and it came at the perfect time for him as my mum died in 2001 and he needed a focus and something to throw himself in to.

"I can still hear his voice constantly barking out orders to the players from the sidelines and then doing a Barry Fry-like gallop down the touchline when Malvern scored!"

The club and Dan ask that people, should they be able to, donate to the collection on Friday at the HDAnywhere Community Stadium. 

For more information about the MND Association, visit: mndassociation.org