Oxford United are supporting the Marie Curie Football Week from March 7-14.

Chosen last season by fans across the country to be the official charity partner of The Football League this term, Marie Curie Cancer Care provides care, free of charge, to terminally ill patients in their own homes and in its hospices.

On Saturday March 19, at the home match with Crewe Alexandra, United will be offering their support to the charity.

A Marie Curie nurse will present the match ball to the referee before kick-off, while teams of the charity’s collectors will be outside the stadium before kick-off helping to raise funds.

With a fundraising target for the 2010-11 season of £500,000, Maruie Curie Week is key in generating the resources vital in the continuation of the charity, which has links with every Football League community throughout England and Wales.

Marie Curie nurse Kate Walkington, and her father, Roger Faulkner, a volunteer co-ordinator, were at the Kassam Stadium yesterday to promote the Week.

Kate admitted: “My husband Nick’s a massive United fan and was dead jealous of me visiting the club!”

Their son, Josh, is with United’s centre of excellence elite division training team.

U’s chairman Kelvin Thomas said: “Marie Curie nurses play a vital role in caring for critically ill members of our community and we are happy to support the charity in any way we can.

“We would like to thank our supporters for our generosity and any help they can offer the Football League’s nominated charity this season.”