Wigan Athletic captain Emmerson Boyce has revealed that carrying young mascot Joseph Kendrick onto the Wembley pitch meant more to him than lifting the FA Cup last May. Joseph, who suffers from the rare genetic disorder non-ketotic hyperglycinemia, was due to be pushed in his wheelchair by Boyce, but the defender decided to carry him instead.
Boyce asked Joseph's father Paul for permission, saying, 'He’s one of us. After the courage he’s showed I was proud to carry Joseph out.' The gesture touched many, with Boyce receiving letters from fans, including a 70-year-old who said he had tears running down his cheeks.
The charity Joseph’s Goal, launched at the start of Wigan’s cup run, has since raised £100,000 for research into NKH at the University of Colorado. Boyce, 34, continues to support the charity and is also an ambassador for Street Soccer USA and his own foundation for under-privileged children in Barbados.
Boyce also expressed pride in winning the cup for chairman Dave Whelan, who broke his leg in the 1960 FA Cup final. 'I said, “You ain’t got to wait no longer — you’ve finally got your cup”. He was overjoyed,' Boyce recalled.
Despite Wigan’s relegation days after their victory, Boyce insists they will not give up their hold on the FA Cup easily as they face Manchester City again in the quarter-final. 'We might be in different divisions now, but we’re still the cup holders,' he said.
