Tributes to Accrington Stanley fan who died hours after receiving hero's shirt

Hundreds of tributes have been paid to an Accrington Stanley fanatic who died wearing his hero’s match-worn shirt he had been given the day before.

Jamie Garvey, who was disabled from birth, passed away suddenly at his home on Alexander Close, Clayton-le-Moors, on Sunday, May 6.

The 39-year-old, who was married to Jane, had returned from Stanley’s last game of the season at Swindon the night before, and was due to attend the champions’ parade and civic celebration at Accrington Town Hall.

Jamie’s step-son Martyn Perry, also of Clayton-le-Moors, described how Jamie had excitedly told him, the previous evening, that he had been lucky enough to receive star striker Billy Kee’s shirt at the end of the game.

He said:

Jamie had been a fan of Stanley for the past 15 years, and had already renewed his season ticket for the following season.

Martyn, 29, says hundreds of tributes and messages to his step-father, who he saw nearly every day, have been moving.

He said:

Jamie’s mother Linda Eatough, of Great Harwood, spoke to her son on the evening before his death and said he was ‘over the moon’ at having been given the shirt.

Linda, 65, said:

Stanley star striker Billy Kee described Jamie as his ‘good friend’.

He tweeted: