Charity match to remember Steve Holland

Body of 59-year-old football fan was found in River Kennet days before Christmas

A CHARITY match is to be held in memory of a Thatcham man who was passionate about football.

Steve Holland’s body was recovered from the River Kennet on December 21 last year, almost two weeks after he was last seen leaving the Slug & Lettuce pub in Newbury on December 8.

Mr Holland was a keen football player, coach and manager, helping his son Paul establish The Cottage Inn side in the Newbury Sunday League.

A charity match in his memory is being organised by Nathan Seymour on behalf of Mr Holland’s family.

It will be held at Kennet School on Sunday, July 15, starting at 10.30am.

The event will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK and the Alzheimer’s Society.

An inquest into Mr Holland’s death, held in May, ruled his death accidental.

Speaking at the inquest, assistant coroner for Berkshire, Emma Jones, said: “The police conclude that he had left the pub and begun to walk home and for reasons unknown, fallen into the river and drowned.

“There’s nothing to indicate third-party involvement or that he was suicidal.”

A post mortem report gave Mr Holland’s cause of death as drowning while under the influence of alcohol and that blockages to his coronary arteries may have been a contributing factor.

Mr Holland is survived by his son Paul and two daughters, Rachel and Leanne.

In a tribute issued to the before the inquest, Mr Holland’s children said: “He loved sport, especially football, and his passion was following West Bromwich Albion.

“He supported them from a young age due to being from the Midlands.

“His passion for football made him very enthusiastic about following and helping his son Paul to set up a Sunday league team that he watched every week, usually running the line.

“Where he could, he would watch his two grandsons in their footballing adventures too.”