Tributes paid to Matt
TRIBUTES have been paid to a 25-year-old Football League physio from Loughborough who died from lung cancer only days after announcing his retirement from football.
Matt Salmon, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010, and had been a physio at Mansfield Town Football Club for three and a half years.
Last Wednesday (May, 24) after doctors had given him only two weeks to live, he decided to step down from his role with the Stags.
The club told the Echo that in his final hours, Matt was surrounded by his family and that he passed away peacefully.
Mansfield Town chairman, John Radford said: “We are terribly sad to receive this news. Matt was a true credit to himself and his family.
“He will be remembered by everyone at Mansfield Town for his enthusiasm and the secondto-none quality of care in the treatment and rehabilitation of players. But above all that, he was a thoroughly decent person and we will miss him.
“We offer our sincere condolences to Matt’s family at this very sad time.”
Mansfield Town manager, Steve Evans paid tribute to the fantastic work that Matt had carried out and said: “It would be fair to say that this is a real sad day for everyone connected with Mansfield Town Football Club.
“As soon as I heard the news this afternoon, it dampened my heart and my thoughts immediately go to Matt’s family.
“They have lost a wonderful husband, son and brother and we, his football family, have not only lost an outstanding profes- sional, but a true friend.”
Matt joined the Nottinghamshire club working as academy physio alongside head physiotherapist Chris Bowman.
When Chris left to join Bolton Wanderers, Matt stepped up to become first team physio for eight weeks.
He then returned to his initial position of academy physio at the Stags while working with the first team squad for the remainder of the 2014/15 season.
Following the academy’s move to Brooksby Melton College, in the summer of 2015, Matt led the youth set-up’s medical department.
In a statement, youth directors Mark Hawkins and Steve Hymas said: “Matt was an inspirational person, taken far too young. His dedication to Mansfield Town Football Club knew no limits and he will be forever remembered by everyone at the academy.
“Above all, we will remember Matt as a caring, warm young man with an admirable spirit, who loved his job and the people with whom he worked. We hold in our thoughts his family at this sad time.”