Tragic death of Tom Wilson at Hockey Club

Freak accident reported in the Romford Recorder December 2015

Friends join proud parents in grieving

Tributes at the spot of hockey player tragedy

The family of a talented hockey player who died following a tragic accident last week, have described him as “the perfect son”.

Family, friends and teammates paid tribute to Tom Wilson laying flowers at the spot of the accident, on Saturday.

The 22-year-old, from Hornchurch, was training with the Old Loughtonians Hockey Club in Luxborough Lane, Chigwell when he received a blow to the head. He was rushed to hospital by air ambulance but died the following day.

Those who knew Tom, including members of Havering and Rom-ford hockey clubs and former classmates from The Coopers’ Company and Coborn School, St Mary’s Lane, Upminster, gathered at the Old Loughtonians’ club to pay their respects.

His mother Lisa Wilson attended the event with husband Graham, daughter Pippa and Tom’s girlfriend, Daisy.

She described Tom as “the perfect son” and thanked his teammates who gave CPR on the pitch.

She said: “Two boys did the most harrowing thing — they did CPR and that memory will be harrowing for the rest of their lives but because they did that they saved Tom’s heart.”

Tom had signed a donor card while studying at university and his organs, including his heart, were given to more than 20 people.

Urging others to consider signing up as donors, Lisa said: “After they said those awful words ‘time of death’ we found out that at university Tom had signed a donor card and it took a real dilemma away from us. We wondered if it was something we should be doing but he made the decision for us.”

Graham, hockey correspondent for The Express newspaper, told those gathered he was proud of his son. He said: “He loved the people he played with, he loved the hockey family, he loved everything that went into the team.”