100 pay respects at tribute match for Bearwood murder victim
More than 100 people attended a memorial match organised to remember a keen footballer and marine commando who was murdered.
People gathered for the annual game to pay their respects to Oliver Mee, from Bearwood, who died in June 2007 aged 24.
He was known to friends and family as Oli and founded and established Bearwood FC with his friends.
The anniversary match, now in its eighth year, is organised by his best friend Chris Delaney who is captain and manager of the football club.
And many of those who played with him took the time out to travel back to Bearwood from across the country to take part.
The Bearwood FC legends team took on the current crop of players – with the former stars running out 5-3 winners for the first time in the friendly fixture.
Family and friends thanked both teams for turning out on Saturday, despite the rain, to take part in the match at Hadley Stadium, in Smethwick.
Oli, along with friends Chris and Matt Beese, used to play for Bearwood Sports FC youth teams until they were too old to compete in youth matches.
They then decided to mix it with the grown-up teams, and so linked up with Carl and Mark Wheatley, Ben Jukes, Ian Roberts, Tony Pickering, Liam Byrne and Andy Liperis to form Bearwood FC in the Warley and District Sunday League in 2000.
The club still compete in the league now, having just spent the last season playing in the competition's fourth tier. Oli remains the club's all-time top goal-scorer to this day, with 120 goals in his seven seasons playing from midfield, and he was awarded the club's player of the year award four times.
His Bearwood FC number seven shirt was retired and has not been worn since as a further tribute to him.
The goalscorer for the Legends team was Sean Ashe, a former team-mate and close friend, who despite carrying an injury scored five times to seal the victory.
Event organiser, Mr Delaney said: "He was a remarkable young man and player with so much potential who always encouraged positivity and made the most of life – an outlook which still inspires many people today."
The Windsor Club, now Sandwell Snooker Centre, in Bearwood Road, hosted a tribute event following the game.
Oli passed out as a marine commando as part of the the Gloucester Regiment in April 2007 – just weeks before he was murdered.
Adam Buckley, of Ethel Street, Smethwick, was jailed for 19 years after being convicted of murder at Wolverhampton Crown Court in 2009.
