Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 9:13 pm**

David Luckhurst, a lifelong Hammers fan who tragically died after suffering a heart attack during Saturday's FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.

David, aged 50, from Wood Lane, Dagenham, was attending the game with his son, Gary, but collapsed in his seat and was sadly pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

David had been a lifelong fan, having grown up in Plaistow, but this year was his first as a season ticket holder. He attended home games with Gary and they sat in the Bobby Moore lower tier.

His funeral will be taking place next Wednesday, May 24, and the procession will be pausing outside the Boleyn Ground at around 10.30am for a mark of respect.

Gary, 32, says: "I would just like to thank all the staff at the Millennium Stadium for their help and support. They paid for a taxi to take me all the way home from Cardiff to Dagenham, and I can't thank them enough.

"I would also like to thank a guy called Stephen Coombs, a complete stranger who was sitting behind me in the stadium. He left his wife and family to stay with me all day, and he even travelled with me in the taxi home.

"Dad had been a lifelong Hammer and I had bonded with him even more after we bought season tickets together for the first time last year."

David also leaves a wife, four daughters and six grandchildren

.....................................

Very Sad and my sincere condolences to his family

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 9:42 pm**

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 9:48 pm**

I would also like to thank a guy called Stephen Coombs, a complete stranger who was sitting behind me in the stadium. He left his wife and family to stay with me all day, and he even travelled with me in the taxi home.

Very sorry for the man. All the respects.

I put the quote because it's always nice to see that there are good people out there, that help for free.

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 9:52 pm**

Its all just so sad, and Sabre you are right its nice to seethat there are good people out there but i hope and think that we all would have done the same.

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 9:53 pm**

Sabre wrote:
I would also like to thank a guy called Stephen Coombs, a complete stranger who was sitting behind me in the stadium. He left his wife and family to stay with me all day, and he even travelled with me in the taxi home.

Very sorry for the man. All the respects.

I put the quote because it's always nice to see that there are good people out there, that help for free.

it must have been horrific for the poor lad on what was meant to be a special day.
reading about the actions of mr coombs (and to be honest the way this forum has rallied around phil) restore`s your faith in humanity.

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 10:02 pm**

very sad news

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 10:08 pm**

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 10:09 pm**

Poor bloke. Feel terrible for his family. RIP and God Bless. "I'm forever blowing bubbles..."

Posted: **Tue May 16, 2006 10:15 pm**

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2006 6:24 am**

To make things worse for me, i only found this out at 5 am for me where i work, I work at Llandough hospital in Cardiff which is where his body was taken, I had to take a deceased body over to the morgue and i was reading the book where we list the deceased and i came across Mr Luckhurst, but what stuck out the most was the place of death "The Millenium Stadium" and thats how i found out about him. It made me kinda sad because it was his Birthday 4 days earlier.

RIP

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2006 7:43 am**

terrible

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2006 8:14 am**

Sad news that but he died supporting his team

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2006 9:01 am**

daily mirror

CARING Prince William delayed presenting the FA Cup to comfort the son of a West Ham fan who died during Saturday's final.

Wills was heading to the Millennium Stadium's pitch for the presentation to Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard when he heard that David Luckhurst, 50, had collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack in one of the stands.

He made a detour to the medical room to pay his respects to David's distraught son Gary, who was being cared for by stewards.

Gary, 32, said last night: "I saw two bodyguards standing outside the room and then Prince William walked in.

"He shook my hand and then put a hand on my shoulder and said 'I'm very sorry to hear about your father passing away. Anything I can do, please feel free to ask.'

"He looked genuinely upset. He was with me for about 10 minutes before his bodyguards tapped him on the shoulder. Wills said 'I've really got to leave now, I'm running late.' He shook my hand and went. I burst into tears the minute he left. It was such an emotional moment and he was such a nice fella - so considerate and understanding."

The 24-year-old prince hurried to the Cardiff pitch where he arrived a few minutes late to hand the cup to Gerrard, whose Liverpool side had defeated West Ham in a penalty shoot out. Engineer Gary watched Wills make the presentation, his first duty as the Football Association's new president, on a TV in the Cardiff stadium's medical room.

The dad of two added: "The prince was still obviously upset. He seemed very quiet when he congratulated the players. I'm sure he was still thinking about our chat."

David, a lifelong Hammers fan, collapsed 20 minutes into the match. Gary said: "Dad had been laughing and joking. He seemed perfectly healthy. Suddenly he grabbed his chest and fell forward on to people sitting in front of us."

Paramedics rushed grandad David, of Dagenham, Essex, to an ambulance outside the ground but were unable to save him.

West Ham have given his family permission to sprinkle his ashes on the club's Upton Park pitch.

Buckingham Palace yesterday said the prince's kind gesture had been "a personal matter".

A stadium insider said: "The prince did what he could to offer whatever support he could.

"It did not delay the cup presentation for any length of time but he did spend some minutes with the man's son."

RIP

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2006 9:06 am**

Let's just hope the fella passed on while the hammers were leading, stark consolation I know but at least he would have gone with a smile on his face. RIP fella.

Posted: **Wed May 17, 2006 11:51 am**

sad news ....

Liverpool FC Forum

Fa cup final death,on a sad note david luckhurst - Lifelong hammers fan

Fa cup final death,on a sad note david luckhurst - Lifelong hammers fan