Devastating News In The Bn
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11 year old lad killed on M6 on his way to the match last Sat.
BN
AN 11-year-old football fan was killed in a motorway pile-up as he made his way to watch Bolton Wanderers.
Shaun Bates died after the car he was travelling in was involved in a six-vehicle smash on the M6 at 1pm on Saturday.
Family, friends and Bolton Wanderers officials said the news had left them ?devastated? and have today paid tribute to a ?charming and delightful? young man.
Club chairman Phil Gartside is preparing to make a special visit to the family to pay his respects.
Shaun and his dad David Bates, aged 51, and two friends were travelling to Bolton for the Aston Villa game from their home in Rugby, Warwickshire.
The accident happened near to junction 16 of the M6 at Staffordshire.
Back seat passenger Shaun was airlifted to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after being given emergency treatment for multiple injuries at the scene and a doctor continued to treat him during the journey, but he died later in hospital.
David, a postman, together with the driver and another passenger, escaped with minor injuries.
A family statement said: ?Shaun was a clever, charming and delightful young man in his first year of secondary school. His love of Bolton Wanderers was his abiding passion. His death will leave a huge gap in all our lives and he will be missed terribly.?
He had an older brother Simon, aged 30, and sister Chantiece, aged 12.
Mr Bates, originally from Little Lever, left Bolton in 1983 but has been a life-long Wanderers supporter.
He and Shaun attended games regularly for the last five seasons and Shaun was a season ticket holder for the last three years, sitting initially in the Nat Lofthouse Stand with his father and older brother, and more recently in the North Upper Stand.
Family friend Andrew Leech said Mr Bates and Shaun?s mum Bernadetta, known as Detta, aged 50, were still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
He said: ?Shaun was a lovely, charming little lad. His smile lit us all up and we are all devastated.
?My wife and I have regularly driven Dave and Shaun to matches, both home and away, from our homes in Rugby. Shaun's favourite player was Kevin Davies.?
Mr Bates received a kidney transplant around 18 months ago and decided that Shaun's organs should be made available for transplant so that his young life and tragic death might help other families.
Mr Leech said: ?The fact that this was possible has given them some comfort and they hope their tragedy may in some small way inspire other donors.?
Tony Kelly, Wanderers fan liaison officer, said: ?We were all devastated when we heard of the tragic death of young Shaun.
?We didn't get to know what had happened until Monday and everyone here at the Reebok was stunned.
?We all feel it when tragedy strikes but especially so when the victim is one so young, and it was particularly emotional when we learned he was wearing his favourite Bolton shirt.
?I know the chairman is planning to call in on the family and as a club we will all rally round and comfort them the best we can.?
Mr Bates has given instructions that his son?s coffin should be draped with a Wanderers flag and he will be buried wearing his BWFC shirt.
People attending the funeral are being told not to wear black but, where possible, a BWFC shirt.
Shaun?s funeral will take place on May 12 in Rugby. His parents have asked that any donations are made to Warwickshire's Air Ambulance Service.