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.

So sad for a life so young.

 

Rest in Peace you superwhite.

such a shame, rip young lad

r.i.p - our thoughts are with you and your family

Very upsetting , RIP young wanderer , 11 years old, what can you say?

R.I.P Shaun

 

My Sympathy goes out to all his family and friends.

Tragic. RIP.

RIP little fella, really sad news, condolances to family & friends

R.I.P

 

Absolutley shocking story.

 

Thoughts are with everybody connected

Think my eyes glazed over reading that story. That's awful. RIP Young Shaun.

 

Wreath?

just bought my grandson his first bolton kit today, this really hits home

 

 

R I P YOUNG WANDERER

Heart felt condolences to his family and friends.

 

socal.

God bless him, 11 years old for gods sake. I cant imagine what his family, friends and school mates must be going through. Our thoughts are with you fellow Wanderer

Very sad.

R.I.P young white.

best wishes and thoughts with his family

rest in peace young un

How very sad. Not many things worse in life than losing a child.

Very Very sad god bless him & is family.

Tragic news.

 

RIP.

Awful, awful news.

As they drive up much of the same route as me I must have acknowledged them before now - responding to seeing a car passing with a BWFC flag or owt on display. Makes me minded to go to the funeral as its relatively local (though I'd have to see if the club know about that - maybe its back up north??); they talk about people turning up in Wanderers shirts, so I guess they mean they're happy for wellwishers to attend??

Terrible News

 

 

R I P Young 'en!

Awful, awful news.

As they drive up much of the same route as me I must have acknowledged them before now - responding to seeing a car passing with a BWFC flag or owt on display. Makes me minded to go to the funeral as its relatively local (though I'd have to see if the club know about that - maybe its back up north??); they talk about people turning up in Wanderers shirts, so I guess they mean they're happy for wellwishers to attend??

 

SG, go onto the BN forum, there is a thread and chap called AndyL as left a message, he share's the driving with Dave, Shaun's dad. PM him.

SG, go onto the BN forum, there is a thread and chap called AndyL as left a message, he share's the driving with Dave, Shaun's dad. PM him.

 

Here it is:

 

http://forum.theboltonnews.co.uk/viewtopic...sc&start=15

 

Dear All,

 

May I thank you, on Dave's behalf, for all these comments. If you haven't made the connection with the short note I put under the Festival of Remembrance thread, Dave and I are good friends and I've been driving Dave and Shaun to games regularly for a few years.

 

I'd like you all to know that Phil Gartside, Tony Kelly and all the club and players have been absolutely superb and, as I said on the previous thread, I feel a great sense of pride in their response.Phil and Tony have both spent much of this afternoon with Dave here in Rugby and their visit has been brilliant for him and his family, in his own words ' 'a beautiful distraction from a horrible situation'.I popped in after work and Dave and family were so pleased. I'd add that there will be ongoing support from the club.

 

We are hoping that Dave might be fit enough to come to the Hull game. He wants to.For the Sunderland game there will be a short piece in the programme and, very informally, we'll put one of Shaun's shirts on his seat in the North Upper.

 

In the meantime if you want to add a comment or two here, I will take them round to Dave and his family and/or show him the thread. If you prefer send me a private message. Re the Bolton end of things I've been liaising with the press and press office for Dave.I'll try to pick up on comments or questions on this thread from time to time. But he is doing amazingly well and a cracking good chat this afternoon with Phil and Tony has done a lot for his immediate spirits.

SG, go onto the BN forum, there is a thread and chap called AndyL as left a message, he share's the driving with Dave, Shaun's dad. PM him.

Thanks for that mate - just done it and I'll see what he says. If the funeral is down here, and he thinks it's appropriate to go bearing the condolences of many, then I will.

Little Shaun is playing with the greats, all our Wanderers legends are looking after him now

through our tears we send all our love

Los Angeles Whites

Awful, awful news.

As they drive up much of the same route as me I must have acknowledged them before now - responding to seeing a car passing with a BWFC flag or owt on display.

 

Same here. RIP. Horrible news.

The death of any child is extremely sad news, but it really hits home when they're fellow supporters.

You end up thinking: "It could have been us."

 

If you've got kids: thank your lucky stars it wasn't you and cherish every day you have with them.

 

Rest in Peace, Shaun: a sad waste of a young life.

 

And well done to the club for their fast response and they way they've got invovlved.