MEMORIAL MATCH TO HONOUR LOST TEENS
‘THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AN EVENT TO COME TOGETHER FOR THESE BOYS’
A SPECIAL event is going to be held in Harefield this month to remember the teenage victims of the Hayes crash which claimed three lives.
The memorial, which will celebrate the lives of George Wilkinson, Harry Rice and Josh McGuinness, will be held at the home ground of Harefield United, where all three victims played football, on May 12.
A football match will be played between two Harefield teams for the GHJ Memorial Trophy, which has been named after the three friends, and all the boys playing in the match will have been school friends or played football with the victims.
Starting at noon, the event will feature face painting, bouncy castles and fairground rides, with all proceeds going to the victims’ families.
The event comes nearly four months after the boys were killed near a Shepiston Lane bus stop when an Audi, being driven recklessly by drink-driver Jaynesh Chudasama, crashed into them.
Chudasama, 28, from Hayes, was sentenced to three concurrent 13-year prison sentences for causing death by dangerous driving at the Old Bailey last month. Paul Moorfield, 50, from Harefield, who coached George, Harry and Josh at various points at Harefield United, is one of a number of people helping to organise next month’s memorial day.
He said: “I coached all three boys at different age groups, so I knew them personally and their families. All three were lovely, likeable, polite, fun-loving young men with everything to live for.
“They were a total credit to their families, it’s devastating what happened. Being their coach you see them grow from nine or 10-year-old children into the fine young men they were developing into.
“I think the community needs an event like this to come together and show their support for these boys and their families, to see whether we can turn something very negative into something slightly more positive.”
To raise money for the three families, a raffle will also be held which will include signed football shirts from Arsenal, West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers.
Rounds of golf have also been donated alongside a Legoland train set, an exclusive tour of a British Airways engineering base and replica aircraft models.
The match for the GHJ trophy, which could become an annual event, is only one aspect of the footballing legacy Harefield residents are hoping to create for the boys, according to Mr Moorfield.
He said: “From the start of next season, when the boys would have been what we call under 18s, we are creating a team called Harefield GHJ United FC.
“We’ve just had the shirts printed for that and for the memorial day, which carry their names on the shirt and a message for them so their legacy carries on.
“Wherever we play in the future, we can show other teams and the boys won’t be forgotten.”
Aside from some training and a few friendlies, the Harefield GHJ team will start officially next season.
The community memorial day will be held at the home of Harefield United FC, in Breakspear Road, on Saturday, May 12 from noon onwards.
Tickets will be £2 on the door for adults, with free entry for under 14s.