Family 'urgently' need answers over death of Rob Spray in Bulgaria

HGV driver Mr Spray, from Cannock, had flown out to Sofia for a friend's 30th birthday – and to also watch England play in the Euro 2020 qualifiers.

But the Baggies fan never returned home – his family received the devastating call that he had died.

His sister Katie Brown told the Express & Star it was something she "never expected to hear".

"Rob was a gentle giant, so soft," she said. "He loved the Albion, he was footy mad. He had just bought a new car, a BMW. He was in perfect health, he played football – he was the goalie. He absolutely loved life.

"When I got the call from my dad, it's something you never expect to hear. It was devastating.

"He would have been so scared in hospital. He was even a bit nervous to go to Bulgaria."

The circumstances around Mr Spray's death remain unclear, with Bulgarian authorities saying he died in transit to a police station after earlier being found in a "helpless condition" on Monday morning, hours before the match.

It was also said that he had become aggressive in hospital. But his friends have said that he was not an aggressive person.

"It's just so out of character what we've heard about him," Katie added. "As a family we just want answers. Why are people saying he was aggressive? He was not like that.

"My brother was not a football hooligan. We just want to know what happened, we’re not getting any answers. We can’t believe we’re not being told anything at all.

"Rob was so social. He loved being part of the family. He lived with mum and dad. I have 10-month-old twins, his nieces, who he adored."

A petition calling for a full investigation into the circumstances around Mr Spray's death has been signed by more than 11,000 people, while more than £25,000 have donated to a fundraiser set up to support his family.

After the initial £10,000 target to repatriate his body was broken, the remaining money is set to be spent on hiring a private investigator.

Albion fans also paid tribute to season ticket holder Mr Spray on Tuesday night, at the first home game since his death.

Baggies and Barnsley fans joined together in applause as images of the fan were shown on the big screen at The Hawthorns in the 32nd minute of the match.

Earlier the club provided a signed shirt which Mr Spray's friends draped over his seat at the back of the Birmingham Road End before raising it up during the minute's applause as fans sang 'The Lord's My Shepherd'.

Visit change.org/p/uk-parliament-get-a-full-investigation-from-the-foreign-office-in-the-tragic-death-of-rob-spray to sign the petition.