Argyle first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell has spoken of the ‘fantastic honour’ at being asked to open a new building in the Derriford Hospital Oncology Centre.
Along with Heather Sparks, widow of legendary Argyle commentator Gordon Sparks, Nance cut the ribbon on Thursday afternoon.
Gordon, a voice synonymous with Argyle over the years, died in 2022, following his second bout of cancer.
The extension to the Oncology Centre, which cost £18.5m, will enable Derriford to offer an additional 700 radiotherapy sessions a year.
“[It was] a fantastic honour to be asked, along with Heather and Sparks' family, to open the new oncology centre in memory of Sparksy,” said Kevin. “It's going to enhance all the treatment that Derriford offers to all the cancer patients who need radiotherapy, and obviously the link with Sparksy and Argyle brings it all together.
“It’s an honour to be here and I'm sure it will be a fantastic asset to the city of Plymouth.”
“Football is more than just about what happens on a pitch on 90 minutes. It's about the friends you make; it's about the people you meet in the stands as you're watching games; it's about the people you work with. That link, and that care, transfers as well to the NHS.
“When everybody comes to Derriford, they see that care, they see the work that the nurses and the doctors put in.”