Wotton Rovers Reserves players honoured the memory of their teammate, Marcus Watkins, with a minute’s applause before the start of the match this afternoon.
Marcus passed away last week, and friend and fellow footballer Ollie Boyle paid an emotional tribute before the pre-season friendly against Dursley Town’s 3rd team: “I was Marcus’s football manager, but more importantly we grew up together, I’ve known him since he was born – we grew up in the same road.
“We’re a close lot in Wotton. If you’re from the same area and you’re lads you tend to get on and share the same interests like football. He was our second team manager this season and captain of the second team last season.
“He’s played nigh on 300 games for the club; he started playing as a young kid for the under-eights or under-nines team and went all the way through to where we are today. He’s a one club man as well, it was only ever Wotton for him.
“He had a couple of seasons away but came back two years ago when we re-formed the ressies (reserve team) and he’s always been a massive part of that.
“It’s nice to have a match like this so we can all get together and pay our respects and be around the group he was a massive part of more than anything. It’s important for us to get together and raise a glass to him, join together and share memories.”
Marcus’s family arranged for the Tyndale Monument in North Nibley to be illuminated in his memory, and club mates will make their way to the monument as a mark or respect.
A fundraising campaign has been set up to help Marcus’s partner and their four children through this difficult time, and can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Wotton-Rovers?utm_term=KYraJre6b
Scroll through our gallery of pictures of Wotton Reserves (blue strip) hosting Dursley Town 3rds
