VIDEO: Fans support Northampton burglary victim with £2,000 in donations

The Chron reported last week that Derry Felton, from Northampton, was the victim of a burglary in which he lost, among other items, a laptop holding both his university coursework and film scripts and a tailor-made headset that allows him to use computers without hands.

Northampton Town fan Adam Johnson, who regularly sees Derry at home matches, started a Just Giving page to reimburse his fellow supporter on Friday and has already topped his £2,000 target through almost 130 separate donations.

Derry said: “I just didn’t really expect it.

“I didn’t know Adam until this happened and it was really nice of him and the other supporters and non-supporters. There was even a donation from Morecambe.”

Through a message on Facebook, he said: “I just want to say thank you to all the people who sent messages of support and the sharing of the newspaper article. It’s been a tough period with many different emotions, but you have made things a lot easier and I am grateful I have such good friends and family. It has been quite overwhelming with the amount of money that’s been raised and I certainly didn’t expect this. Thank you again and much love, Derry.”

Derry’s is already a famous name to hundreds of thousands of people who have watched footage of him staging a one-man invasion of the Sixfields pitch in his wheelchair after a Cobblers equalising goal in 2011.

He has been paralysed from the neck down since he was two years old and, as a result, uses a headset that allows him to use his laptop without typing or clicking.

That, along with the laptop itself, another computer, portable hard drives, three games consoles and his carer’s car keys were all taken during a raid.

He had left his home for only an hour to go to a French lesson when the crime took place.

He has been attending Cobblers games since the age of 12, which seems to have been the motivation to give money for many of the donors.

One donor said: “You’re a legend. I’m sure the love and support of fellow Cobblers will get you over the line. Maybe not the white line again! All the best fella!”

And Mr Johnson said: “I follow and I feel passionate about helping him to be able to purchase new equipment so that this robbery has as little impact on him as possible.

“Football is more than just a game and Northampton Town are more than just a club; we’re like family and look out for one another.”

Anyone who wants to donate to the fund can do so by visiting: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/adam-johnson