Emotions ran high at a football match where touching were paid to a former player who would have turned 30 on the same day

Connor Saunders was remembered at Whitehawk's Enclosed Ground during their 2-0 win against Cray Valley PM.

Connor tragically died aged 19 after being punched in Rottingdean in April 2012. He would have been celebrating his 30th birthday last Saturday.

The home team were led out by Connor’s father and first-team coach Shaun Saunders. In the fifth minute of the game both sides showed their respect through a minute’s applause to celebrate his life and memory. The fifth minute was chosen as reference to the Connor Saunders Foundation “5 is alive” to honour the lives that were saved by the organs donated by Connor.

Whitehawk FC’s Chairman Andy Schofield said, “It was a very emotional day for everybody involved with the club. Shaun just didn't want any of it to get in the way of him, getting three points. And to be honest, we didn't play that well, we nicked one at the end of the first half and nicked one at the end of the second half and we won two nil.

 

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“And I said to him on the pitch after the game, you know, someone up there was looking down on us today”.

The chairman also spoke about the gesture the first team players gave to their manager before the game.

Mr Schofield said: "The lads in the dressing room had raised money for his foundation and gave him a card in the dressing room. I went in to see. He was close to tears really quite a few times during the day."

The Argus:

There were also tributes in the form of a minute’s applause made before the game for John Marchant, former Whitehawk FC player, manager and life member who has died at the age of 85.

More than 200 people packed into St Margaret's church in Rottingdean for a service celebrating the talented footballer's life after he died in 2012.

A further 300 gathered in a marquee in the church grounds listening to the service broadcast live.

At the time his father Shaun Saunderspaid a tearful tribute to the "most beautiful and lovliest boy anyone could have met" adding the death had "changed our family's lives forever".