Express & Star

Football family mourns as players die in Shoreham Airshow crash

The football world was in mourning today after the first victims of the Shoreham air disaster to be named were revealed to be a groundsman and former player of Brighton and Hove Albion.

Published

Tributes are expected to be held at Walsall's Banks's Stadium tomorrow night, when the Saddlers will be Brighton's first opponents since the tragedy on what will be an emotional occasion for the Seagulls.

The Championship side are making the trip to the West Midlands for a second round Capital One Cup tie.

Matt Grimstone, aged 23, a member of the club's ground staff, has been named among the dead along with Brighton supporter Jacob Schilt. Both were also amateur players with Sussex-based non-league side Worthing United and were travelling to the team's game on Saturday when their car was struck by the Hawker Hunter jet. Mr Schilt had also previously played for Brighton.

Matthew Grimstone

The death toll from the disaster rose to 11 yesterday, with fears the death toll could rise to 20 as specialist teams began recovering bodies. The aircraft was performing at a nearby air show but plummeted into traffic on the A27 after a stunt went wrong. The pilot, named locally as Andy Hill, miraculously survived the crash and was last night in a critical condition in hospital.

Players and teams from the Black Country were quick to pay their respects to the victims.

Wolves midfielder Jed Wallace tweeted: "Heartbreaking. RIP."

Stourbridge Football Club tweeted: "Our thoughts are with the families of the two Worthing players who lost their lives yesterday at Shoreham."

The Football Association also paid tribute via its Twitter account, saying: "We are saddened to hear two members of the football family, Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, were killed in the Shoreham air disaster when on their way to play for Worthing. Our thoughts are with their family, friends, team-mates and all others affected."

Brighton manager Chris Hughton said ahead of tomorrow's game at Walsall: "We are all shocked and deeply saddened by this news. Matt has been part of a great team we have at the club, and our thoughts go out to his and Jacob's families at this devastating time."

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.