95-year-old lifelong QPR football fan’s wish comes true

After decades of club support, a Basingstoke care home resident scored big when he returned to watch his favourite football team.

Peter Williamson, a 95-year-old resident at Care UK’s Dashwood Manor, on Bradley Way, and one of the longest and oldest fans of Queens Park Rangers F.C., enjoyed the full VIP experience during his visit to the Loftus Road Stadium to watch his beloved team take on Derby County.

Peter, who was born in Kilburn, London, is a lifelong QPR supporter and has fond memories of watching matches with his 12 siblings. He was very close with his siblings, and as they grew up, moved out, got married and had children of their own, one by one, they all made a promise to make time to enjoy a match together. 

Sadly, many of Peter’s brothers have passed, and his greatest wish was to experience the thrill of one more match in his all of his brothers’ honour and reconnect with some of his happiest memories. 

The Dashwood Manor team reached out to the football club to organise a special surprise and fulfil his wish. Peter, along with his nephew, were upgraded to the W12 suite, where they enjoyed a three-course meal and the full VIP treatment. QPR also included Peter in their matchday programme and, at half-time, he made it onto the big screen, with club ambassador Andy Sinton also thanking him for a lifetime of support. 

Peter couldn’t have asked for a more thrilling match for his long-awaited return—with QPR cruising to a 4-0 victory, providing ample opportunity for celebrations. Adding to the magic of the day, Peter’s nephew, whom he hadn’t seen in 15 years, was also at the game, unbeknownst to both of them. After seeing his uncle in the matchday programme, he asked the stadium team to take him to Peter, leading to a joyous reunion.

Peter’s special day was part of the home’s Wishing Tree initiative, which enables residents to put forward their wishes to revisit old hobbies or try something completely new. Whether it’s a fish and chip supper, a skydive or watching a football match, no wish is too big or too small.  

Commenting on the game, Peter said: “Watching the game made me feel really happy! It brought back lots of memories of watching the team with my brothers. I am very grateful for the efforts the team had gone through to make this happen.

“I waved goodbye to the stadium one last time, but I wasn’t sad because we’d won 4-0, so I can’t complain! Seeing my nephew for the first time in 15 years was also a lovely surprise!

“I felt famous, because all the staff knew who I was and were very polite and attentive. Having the food and drinks felt like a real luxury experience, as this is something my family would have never been able to afford when I was younger on top of a normal ticket.”

Dil Perera, Home Manager at Dashwood Manor, said: “Peter is a massive Rs fan, so we knew we had to pull out all the stops for him to get him back to the ground to cheer on his team. 

“Peter hasn’t stopped talking about the match after their incredible win! It brought back so many memories of time spent with his brothers watching matches and he had an unforgettable day. I’d like to say a massive thank you to Queens Park Rangers F.C. and the fantastic team here at Dashwood Manor, who helped make Peter’s wish come true.”

Dashwood Manor is designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, with luxury facilities, including a café, hair and beauty salon, cinema, bar and gardens. The highly experienced team provide residential care, dementia care, short-term respite care and nursing care.