LIFELONG QPR fan Tony Mills will be given the red carpet treatment at Loftus Road on Sunday when the R’s take on Reading in W12.





Tony, aged 52, was diagnosed with an Astrocytic tumour in the centre of his brain in March 2012.





Understandably, the news hit Tony and his family hard.





In recent months, Tony’s son James – a fellow R’s supporter – has made it his goal to raise enough money to fulfil his dream of taking his terminally ill dad and his son Ollie (5) to Loftus Road for what could potentially be one final time.





Through the power of social media, James’ call-to-action via a personal plea on the internet saw him reach his £500 target almost immediately, but the club decided to take it one step further.





With public backing from Tony Fernandes and Joey Barton, the club made contact with the Mills family and from there, ‘Tony’s Special Day’ was formed.





Communication between R’s Head of Media & Communications, Ian Taylor, and James’s wife Laura began just less than a month ago and since then the plans for the day have evolved significantly, thanks in part to the support of Barton and Harry Redknapp in particular.





Upon hearing the story, the duo were keen to ensure Tony’s day was as special as it possibly could be, so the R’s media team and the family got to work.





The first challenge was to ensure Tony – an R’s fan since 1970 – was kept out of any discussions.





Why? Because Joey wanted to personally hand deliver the tickets to him as a surprise!





Well that challenge has since been overcome, with Barton taking the time to travel down to Eastbourne on his day off earlier today (Thursday) to meet the family and give Tony the surprise of his life.





And that’s just the beginning, because on Sunday, Tony and his three guests, James, Ollie and Laura, will all be given a day to remember in W12.





On arrival, the quartet will be given a private stadium tour, before making their way up to the luxurious surroundings of the club’s top hospitality suite C Club.





Thereafter, Tony – accompanied by grand-son Ollie and co. – will be given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the R’s dressing room to meet the QPR squad and boss Harry Redknapp pre-match, with the opportunities for photos and autographs.





Ollie will lead the teams out as a mascot at kick-off, before the family pose for a keeps-sake photo at half-time.





After the game, the family will be welcomed back pitch-side for one final time, before Joey sends them on their way with his signed match-shirt.





You, Tony’s fellow fans, have a crucial role to play in this special day. When he takes to the pitch at half-time on Sunday, please show your support for him and his family.





#TonysSpecialDay



