Life of James Dean celebrated in Memorial Trophy match

By Matt Badcock

WINNERS: Chorley with the James Dean Memorial Trophy and Garry Flitcroft,

PICTURE: Stefan Willoughby

JAMES DEAN’S impact on former team-mates and the Non-League game shone through at the memorial game to celebrate his life.

Players from the Chorley and FC Halifax teams Dean played in came together on Sunday for a special memorial to the 35-year-old, who passed away in May.

Chorley, led by Garry Flitcroft, beat Neil Aspin’s FC Halifax team to lift the first ever James Dean Memorial Trophy, with an auction also held and live music in a fitting tribute.

Tom Baker, who played with Dean at both clubs and then signed him when he was Trafford manager, says it was an emotional day – but the turnout, including more than 500 supporters, showed how many lives the ex-Altrincham, Stalybridge, AFC Fylde and Warrington forward touched.

Legacy

Baker told The NLP: “The day was to celebrate James’ life and the legacy he left at the two clubs, and Non-League football in general.

“I think myself lucky that I spent seven seasons in all with Deano at Halifax, Chorley and, obviously, at Trafford when I signed him. I had a large spell of my career with him and I feel blessed for that.

“With all good intentions you can plan to get everyone together and hope people come out, but it’s not easy to get that amount of people together. So it speaks volumes we had the support we did and people did come out to remember him and celebrate his life.

“That just shows who he was as a man and a football player and the fact people wanted to be there.”

Baker plans to keep the James Dean Memorial Trophy going with the teams playing each other each close season, with it evolving into a first-team pre-season game for both the Magpies and Shaymen.

And Baker says the inaugural game will live long in the memory for being such a special occasion for former team-mates and Dean’s family.

With James Dean’s father

Condolences

“Me and Danny Lowe went to see James’ mum and dad a week after he was found and we sat with them,” Baker said. “We went to see how they were, to send our condolences and that was when we told them what we wanted to try and do.

“It feels like years ago sat in that living room talking to them. So to actually have them at the ground and have been able to put everything we said into practice and make it happen, to see 20 close family members there, along with his boys, was amazing. It really was.

“I’m sure, as much, as it was an incredible day, it was very tough. But, all in all, they were overjoyed with the way the day went.

“I am hoping every year we can do that for them. We can’t bring James back but hopefully each year we can give them a really good day and continue to show them what he meant to everybody.”