Family illness gives cup clash greater meaning for Hartlepool boss Graeme Lee

Hartlepool manager Graeme Lee is looking forward to a special weekend for his family (Richard Sellers/PA)

Graeme Lee will soak up every moment of the biggest game of his fledgling managerial career to date fortified by the bravery of his wife and father.

The 43-year-old Hartlepool manager will send the Sky Bet League Two side into FA Cup fourth-round battle with Premier League Crystal Palace on Saturday as his wife Gemma continues to defy an inoperable brain tumour with the help of a £5,000-a-month trial medication from Germany, while his father Tony is living with dementia.