Funeral of Finedon professional footballer to take place in parish church

LONDON - 2 OCTOBER: Matthew Brazier of Leyton Orient on the ball during the Worthington Cup Second Round match between Leyton Orient and Birmingham City at the Matchroom Stadium in London on October, 2002. (photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images) NNL-190803-142915005

A footballer who tragically died aged just 42 will be laid to rest this week.

Matthew Brazier, formerly of QPR, Fulham, Cardiff and Leyton Orient died in February of non-Hodgkin’s follicular lymphoma.

The father-of-three lived in Finedon and his funeral will take place at St Mary’s Church on Friday.

Mr Brazier, who retired in 2004 after two years at Orient, came through QPR’s academy and scored four goals in 64 appearances for the club between 1995 and 1998.

He spent a season at Fulham then played for Cardiff from 1999.

Several football clubs held a minute’s silence in his memory.

Mr Brazier’s family and friends had set up a gofundme page to try to raise enough money for him to be treated for his illness in Istanbul and had managed to raise £12,500.

He leaves a wife, Michelle, three children James, Ethan and Lucas and his parents Gwen and Ron. The family is requesting no flowers but donations to go to Lymphoma Action.