Crewe Alex boss Steve Davis was a guest at a Nantwich fundraising cake-a-thon in memory of a teenager who died playing rugby.
He was among hundreds who attended the Boot & Shoe pub on Hospital Street on tragic Matthew Dewhirst’s 18th birthday.
And his appearance was especially moving for Matthew’s family as the youngster was an avid Crewe Alex fan.
The event raised £350, and with other fund-raisers earlier in the day, the total raised was £1,142 for C.R.Y (Cardiac Risk in the Young).
Matthew’s mum Sue said: “It was an amazing event. Being Matthew’s birthday, it was very emotional for us.”
Former Nantwich Town boss Davis has agreed to be patron of the Matthew Dewhirst Memorial Fund which will continue to raise money and campaign for more heart scanning of young sportspeople.
“Having Steve there was very special and a great surprise,” added Sue.
“He is a parent with children of similar age to Matthew. He has great contacts to get into other clubs. If Matthew could have picked anyone, it would have been Steve!”
Money raised will help to pay for CG scanning events which could help prevent more deaths.
Sue also praised Jan Cullen, landlady at the Boot, Helen Gregory, of the Clandestine Cake Club, and Liz Southall, of Redshift Radio, for organising the cake-a-thon.
“Jan at the Boot was phenomenal and pulled out all the stops,” she said.
“And at one stage Helen had them queuing out the door for cakes! It was heaving. Matthew would have been laughing his head off!”
Matthew collapsed and died of Sudden Arrhythmic Death at his college in Shropshire last summer while rugby training.
The teenager had played at the Crewe Alexandra Academy in the junior squads and was a season ticket holder at Gresty Road.
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