Ex England footballer backs Wetherby fundraiser

The ex-Spurs, Hull and Nottingham Forest defender was personally touched by news of the death of Tom Beevers, one of the men he chatted to when they were working at his property.

Tom, a young ex-serviceman and father of two daughters, died on New Year’s Eve and a Footballathon is to be held this weekend.

He was part of a group of friends who played football after work every week at the Mugga, on the Ings in Wetherby, some of them from the same cleaning company, the Wetherby-based Clearview.

Clearview boss Steve Watson, another regular at the weekly football sessions, says that when his workmates heard of Tom’s death they wanted to do something to help his family and raise awareness of suicide among young men.

Their response was a 24-hour Footballathon to be staged over Friday and Saturday, May 6-7.

Volunteer teams, playing in spells of two hours at a time, will drive the marathon fundraiser, which has already raised half its £3,000 target.

Steve Watson said: “Michael Dawson has been really good, he came down and joined in our football session, posed for photographs and promised to help in anyway he could to promote our efforts.

“Tom was one of the lads who got to know him while working.”

The football fundraisers have also collected a huge number of prizes for a raffle competition including tickets for the England v German game in September, signed Celtic and Rangers football shirts and a host of restaurant vouchers.

PAPYRUS exists to reduce the number of young people who take their own lives, by breaking the stigma of suicide, teaching coping skills and getting people talking openly in the community.

Donations can be made through: just giving.com/fundraising/thomasbeevers.