Wendron chairman Kevin Williamson dies after historic win

Amidst the euphoria of the first team reaching the Cornwall Senior Cup semi-final on Saturday, Kevin Williamson, aged 63, was taken ill at the Underlane ground.

A team of First Aiders were able to revive him using a defibrillator and he was taken to Treliske Hospital by Cornwall Air Ambulance, but the father-of-three passed away on Sunday afternoon.

The Packet's sports reporter Matt Friday was interviewing jubilant Wendron manager Jack Greenwood when club secretary Peter Thorne sounded the alarm that he had been taken ill in the home dressing room.

Jack said: "He is irreplaceable. Together with Pete (Thorne) Kevin was a real doer. Clubs would be lucky to have one of them, let alone two.

"He didn't always come in and congratulate us if we won, but on Saturday he told us that the beers were on him. His commitment and passion were second to none. It will not be the same without him."

The father of three, who had suffered a heart attack just before Christmas, joined the club in the early 1990s and went on to play a major role in most parts of the football and cricket club, including a stint as joint-manager of the football club’s first team alongside Peter.

A club statement read: “Kevin has helped build the club to what we have today, not just from a footballing perspective, but also cricket and the community as a whole.

“He will be deeply missed by all and the many roles he played in making our club successful will be near on impossible to fill.

“We send all our love to his family at this time. His children: Adam, Claire and Simon all represented the club in both football and cricket.

"Once more, we would like to thank all who were so prompt and quick with their responses and administering first aid at the scene, and then to the Air Ambulance, paramedics and all of the professionals who were first class in their support."

This Saturday’s first team fixture at home to Liskeard will still go ahead, however the second, third and fourth team games have been postponed.

The club will collect donations instead of gate receipts for the match, with all proceeds going towards Cornwall Air Ambulance.

There will also be a minute’s silence ahead of kick-off, which is at 2pm as it is a Cornwall Charity Cup quarter-final, before a glass is raised in Kevin’s honour in the clubhouse after the game.

The statement added: “We extend a warm invite and welcome to Kevin’s family, friends and all that knew him. We will be having a minute’s silence in his honour and we will not be collecting any gate receipts; instead we will be collecting donations for the Air Ambulance who, along with the paramedics, were fantastic in their response and support yesterday. We will be raising a glass in Kevin's honour in the clubhouse after the game.

“Kevin will be forever in our hearts and will be forever a part of the Wendron family.”

Kevin Williamson (left) with Wendron United club secretary Peter  Thorne

Wendron’s reserve team joint-manager Josh McDonald said: “I’ve probably known of him for about 25 years. His youngest boy played in the age group above me so I knew of him around the club for quite a long time really.

“When we entered the South West Peninsula League he took over with Peter so he managed me as well for a season or so, and then again when I took over as second team manager he’s just been so supportive.

“He’d be there to pass on some advice whenever you needed it really, on the phone or at the club itself or anything like that.

“As you get older and get more involved in the management side of it and away from the playing side you actually realise just how much people like him do for the club. Just basic stuff that you don’t even think about, like washing kit and putting kit up, helping build the facilities and getting money for the facilities that we have, and not just the football side of it but the cricket side and the whole community aspect of the club, he’s an integral part of it all.

“I think he was even still playing cricket up until last season when they were short and when they were desperate.

“It’s not just from a football point of view but from the whole aspect of the club it is just massive blow and a massive shock."

An aggressive middle-order, attacking batsman, Kevin played cricket for Wendron’s first, second and third XI’s, over three decades, captaining the latter for the 2000 and the 2001 seasons. He also managed the Under-15 and Under-16 XIs and was always proud of their performances.

A shoulder injury prevented him playing much cricket in recent years but an invitation to captain the Chairman’s XI against the Lifetime President’s XI, to celebrate the club’s forty years at Underlane, enticed him back to the hard-ball game for just a few more appearances.

And, last season, in almost his last knock for the club, batting at eight, with the score on 68-6, he joined Steve Williams at the wicket. Kevin batted in his usual style, hitting his nine fours and scampered twos to all parts of the Underlane ground, taking the score to 142-6 to secure an unlikely victory for Wendron 2nd XI and finish the game with a personal tally of 50 not out.

He did not play football at Underlane but took on almost every other role within the football section, managing numerous youth and adult teams. He was the assistant manager, working alongside Tony Kellow, when Wendron United first joined the Cornwall Combination League, in 1998.

He has taken on various clerical and ‘back room’ duties to ensure the smooth running of Wendron United FC – everything from running the line to washing the kit. Whether manager or collector of gate money, he derived great pleasure from watching his team beat the ‘bigger’ or more fashionable clubs and it did not get better than the Cornwall Senior Cup quarter-final win over local rivals, Porthleven.

Kevin served on Wendron’s committee for a number of years and, in November 2007, was elected chairman – a position he has held since, always being returned unopposed at the annual AGM.

In recent years, he has raised many thousands of pounds of grants and prizes from various community funds that have provided vital cash for ground improvements, like spectator accommodation, disabled access, solar panels and solar batteries.

Tributes have been paid to Kevin from across the Cornish football community.

The South West Peninsula League tweeted: “On behalf of the board and clubs of the league we pass on our condolence [sic] and thoughts to Kevin’s family, friends and all at Wendron United.”

Helston Athletic tweeted: “Very sad news. Our thoughts are with the family and everyone at the club. Rest in peace.”

Penryn Athletic tweeted: “Absolutely so sad to hear this devastating news. Only seen Kevin last weekend. Thoughts go out to you all and everyone who knew Kevin. #footballfamily”