Tragedy as teenager dies after falling ill during football match
Wycombe Wanderers will pay tribute to the memory of youth team player Adam Ankers after he fell ill during a game and died in hospital on Monday (5 February).
Adam was a 17-year-old season ticket holder at Wycombe Wanderers and played for the club foundation’s under-19s team in partnership with Henley College.
The teenager was a student at the college and a dedicated Wycombe fan who went to the club's games alongside his dad, brother and sister.
Adam's dad Alastair announced the sad news of his son's death on social media.
He wrote: "Yesterday we lost my son Adam, who passed away after playing football, the sport he loved.
"We love him so much and the loss is devastating. He will always be with us and never forgotten."
We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of season ticket holder Adam Ankers, and our thoughts and condolences go out to his friends, team-mates and family at this very difficult time.
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) February 6, 2024
Rest in peace, Adam. https://t.co/Tcbnr9Isp9
The club's first-team manager Matt Bloomfield spoke on behalf of Wycombe Wanderers about Adam's tragic death.
He said: "I was deeply shocked to hear the news that Adam was taken ill last week while playing the game he loves, and he has been in our thoughts since as we hoped and prayed for his recovery.
"We are all extremely saddened to learn that he wasn’t able to pull through and our deepest condolences are with his friends, team-mates and family at this awful time."
The club foundation's chief executive Mark Gaitskell also paid tribute to Adam and said that it had deeply affected everyone at the club.
He added that the club would soon find a way to pay tribute to Adam's memory.
Gatiskell said: "This has been an extremely distressing time for everyone involved with the Foundation as we mourn the tragic death of a talented, popular and much-loved young man.
"The news that he had passed away on Monday has hit everybody hard and we are collecting our thoughts about how, in due course, we can best pay tribute to Adam and create a legacy in his name.
"For now, we send our love, warmth and deepest condolences to his family and friends, and offer the full support of everyone at Wycombe Wanderers with anything we can do to be of help, or comfort at this incredibly difficult time."
On their website the club have confirmed that they are planning to pay tribute to Adam at an upcoming home fixture.
According to the BBC the Chairboys will hold their tribute to Adam at their game against Oxford United, which is due to be played on 17 February.
Joe Harker