Sheffield United and Swansea City fans invited to join tributes to popular local player after tragic death at just 24

Tom Collier, a Blades fan who had a season ticket on the Kop and played up front for Hammer and Pincers FC, passed away as he travelled to a game against Sheffield Wanderers.

A former King Ecgbert pupil, the school paid tribute to a “great sportsman” after his passing and supporters of both the Blades and Swans have been invited to join in a minute’s applause in the ninth minute of Saturday’s game, to mark the number he wore for Hammer and Pincers.

“He just loved playing football,” his manager Dave Oxley told The Star. “And that’s where he was going when it happened. It’s hit us all very hard, because he was a great, great kid.

“He was a good laugh, our No.9 and top goalscorer. He scored goals and loved to hog the ball! But he was a big part of things off the pitch, too.

“We’re a really close-knit bunch and he was at the centre of that, too. It’s a group that does everything together and Tom was a big part of that. He certainly never missed a night out!

“He wasn’t supposed to be playing that day. He was supposed to be working, but he rang me on the Friday and said the job was off and so he could play. He asked me if I wanted him.

“He was our top scorer and was flying at the time, so of course I did.

“I’ll remember him as a top kid and a great footballer. One goal he scored sticks out, against Thurgoland just before lockdown. His strength was knocking the ball out of his feet and hitting it, because he had a brilliant left foot.

“So I told him to do that, and he smashed one into the top corner from 35 yards. It was our goal of the season. I tried to claim a bit of credit and he looked at me gone out!”

Chris Millard was Collier’s captain.

“TC had been a huge part of the club for many, many years and some of his best mates, and his brother Joe, play,” he said.

“It’s a really close, family-run club, so it was so shocking, tragic and devastating news to hear. The club’s legacy now is to remember TC and the wonderful lad he was.

“It was a privilege to share a football field with such a happy, talented and bubbly character and he will be sorely missed by everyone.

“He will always be remembered for his constant fantastic smile, and scoring some wonderful goals. And missing some sitters as well.

We will do everything as a club to keep his legacy alive.”

A GoFundMe page set up with an initial aim of £500 to help Collier’s family meet the costs of his funeral had raised almost £22,000 at the time of writing, and donations will go towards a number of foundations his family are choosing to support in their son’s name.

Brett Miller, Oxley’s assistant manager and the manager of the Pincers’ over-35 team, described Collier as having “a smile to warm a thousand hearts, and a laugh to light the darkest room” in his own heartfelt tribute.

“Never has there been a footballer that could break the onion bag but also dent the woodwork, over and over and over again,” Miller said.

“Not reliable from five to 18 yards but formidable from 20+ yards. A true gent and salt of the earth, the number of friends he had is a true testament to TC.

“Rest easy, TC. We will honour and cherish you. We will always celebrate everything you were and continue to be.

“Never replaceable, always missed, forever remembered.”

The club have retired the No.9 shirt worn by Collier – described as a “gentle guy with a huge heart who is gone too soon, but will never be forgotten” by friend and teammate David Spilman - and plan to frame it in the pub to remember him. Other plans to honour his memory are also being considered.

“His brother was talking about wearing the No.9 shirt,” Oxley added. “I said: ‘There’s no chance he’d want me to give you his shirt’ and to be fair, Joe said it was a fair point.

“There’d be no chance.

“He was a big Blade and all his family and friends are Blades too, so it’ll mean the world to them to hear Tom honoured. His dad has been spreading the word about the minute’s applause and he’ll be chuffed to bits.

“Most of the team are Blades. That’s why we went to playing on Saturday mornings, so we could have a beer afterwards and go to the game.

“It will mean so much to everyone. We didn’t have a game the week after, and our first training session was earlier this week.

“Last week, when it came to training, I asked the lads what they wanted to do and they asked, what would Tom have done? If there was a bit of rain, would he rather train or go for a drink?

“So we went to the Hammer and Pincers for a few beers!

“Then we talked about playing again and I asked the lads again, what would he want you to do?

“They said he’d want us to play. So that’s what we’ll do.”

Visit www.gofund.me/465cafc6 to donate to the GoFundMe page in Tom’s memory.

** Tribute to Tom, from David Spilman, friend and teammate: “I had the pleasure of knowing Tom for six years.

“We played up front together and formed a decent partnership, he’d score most of the goals… more importantly though, we became friends.

“Tom is one of those guys that people don’t have a bad word to say about. Always smiling and always laughing.

“Unless we conceded, then we’d be stood in the centre circle and he’d be shouting at the defence whilst I’d stand there, chuckling away.

“A gentle guy with a huge heart. Gone far too soon, but will never be forgotten. Our number nine.”