Bid to create memorial to much-loved footballer player who died of cancer given huge boost
Emotions were running high when a women’s football team received a prestigious award to create a lasting memorial to a much-loved player.
The Bill Longmore Foundation was set up to honour the memory of the region’s first police and crime commissioner – and give recognition to outstanding individuals, clubs, and groups from all sports in Shropshire and Staffordshire
The Shropshire awards were presented at Shifnal Town Football Club on Sunday, with £1,000 handed to the town’s ladies’ football team.
Shifnal Town Ladies’ FC was rocked by the death of their inspirational number 3, Danielle Jones and they want to create an area at the football ground where everyone can go and sit to remember her. The team received £1,000 from the awards.
A spokesperson for the club said: “On Sunday we was so honoured to be awarded £1,000 from the Bill Longmore Foundation.
“We had the pleasure of meeting Trevor Edwards and Ursula Longmore who presented the ladies with the award. The ladies have been on such an emotional journey over the last few months and have pulled together to achieve amazing things for Danielle and her family, whilst also supporting each other with such a devastating loss.”
“It’s been over eight weeks since we last saw Dan and not a training session or game has gone by where we haven’t not spoken about Dan.
“She will never be forgotten and with the award we will be using the money to create an area at the football ground where everyone can go and sit to remember her.”
The statement continued: “Our manager Mark Corbett will be working on this area and we thank our chairman Mick Tranter for allowing this to happen at the football ground.
“We look forward to showing everyone our special place to remember our forever number 3.”
The third annual awards were presented to Shifnal Town Ladies’ FC, young referees Leo Gough and Caitlin Slater, Shrewsbury School of Boxing and Newport Hockey Club.
The awards were presented to the winners by Mrs Ursula Longmore, Bill Longmore’s widow.
Bill Longmore went from being a police officer to the region’s first police and crime commissioner – and then a philanthropist who bought a pub and gave it to the people of Hanwood, near Shrewsbury, to run. He was a former Staffordshire Police Superintendent and Hanwood councillor who died of cancer in May 2018.
He moved to Hanwood in 1998 where he became a local councillor. He was chair of Hanwood Village Hall, and the local bowling club.
In 2017 he purchased the Cock Inn together with the bowling green, later left as a legacy for the people of Hanwood, who now manage it through a Community Interest Company.
Thanks to a £200,000 legacy, five £1,000 grants are available each year in Shropshire.
Through his achievements while living in Shropshire he was awarded the BBC ‘Unsung hero’ award in 2011 for his contribution to sport, and in 2012 he was invited to carry the Olympic Torch in Shrewsbury.
