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A football match will be dedicated to Jack Maddams
tomorrow (Saturday.)
The Ryman Premier League game between Tonbridge
Angels and Sutton United is a fitting tribute to the teenager, who died
suddenly from a rare heart condition at his Wigmore home nearly a year ago.
Jack played for the Tonbridge Angels under-18
squad and he was raised a Sutton fan by his dad Roger, who was born close to
Sutton's ground.
Jack was even given the middle name Matthew in
honour of Matt Hanlon, who scored Sutton's winning goal against Coventry
City in the FA Cup in 1989, the year before Jack was born.
During the game the Maddams family will collect
money for the charity CRY, Cardiac Risk in the Young, which they have
supported since Jack's death.
Roger said: "I used to take Jack and his elder
brother all over the south of England following Sutton when Jack was between
five and 10, before playing football took up his Saturdays.
"He was the scout at Sutton on a couple of
occasions, and he was the 'lucky charm' of Gary McCann, Sutton's goalkeeper
at the time, who used to find Jack and shake his hand just before kick off."
Gary is now manager of Hendon, who are in the same
league as Sutton and Tonbridge.
Roger added: "The Angels have been fantastic to
Jack's memory, renaming the North Stand as the Jack Maddams Stand in his
honour.
"We aim to raise funds for CRY on the day through
collections at the ground.
"So far we have raised about £12,000 through
football tournaments, sky dives, half marathons and other events."
Two of Jack's friends will raise further funds for
the charity when they run the Reading Half Marathon, which takes place on
the weekend of the first anniversary of Jack's death.
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