TRIBUTE TO MATTHEW

In the last couple of years we have lost far too many good people who have been associated with Hitchin Town FC. Unfortunately we lost another volunteer on Monday when Matthew Malarowski suffered a cardiac arrest and died suddenly at the age of 67. He had been a member of Steve Barker’s ground staff for 11 years and was a committed supporter who went to games at home and away.

I spoke to Matthew’s brother Marek who gave me further details about Matthew. Their father was in the RAF and his last posting was at Henlow having moved all over the country. When their father left the RAF he moved to live in Hitchin and as he was a football fan he took his boys to Top Field to watch Hitchin from 1959 onwards. Both brothers have remained Hitchin supporters ever since. They were founder members of the Supporters Trust and in more recent years joined the ground staff to help keep Top Field in order. Marek joined 13 years ago having got to know Steve Barker and Matthew joined two years later. They both really enjoyed being part of the team and took great pride in the ground.

Matthew lived in his parent’s house from 1958 to 2013, before moving to Bearton Road, Stevenage and finally Henlow. Matthew was a very keen golfer and was really looking forward to yesterday when he could return to the golf course for the first time for three months. It was a cruel irony that he actually collapsed and died at the third hole of the Whitehill Golf course in Dane End. Efforts were made to revive him but to no avail. Matthew had no previous history of heart trouble and kept fit so it was a major shock for Marek.

Club communications officer Chris Newbold had a particular memory of Matthew. They were both part of the team that travelled to Scotland to take part in the Eggheads quiz and they had to meet at 5:45am to travel up. The rest of the team were barely awake but Matthew insisted on practicing questions for the quiz. Chris remembered his unique sense of humour and how laid back he was. Chris said Matthew had his own singular ideas on the way the game was going from his behind the goal vantage point.

Steve was going to cancel the regular working party this Saturday but Marek decided Matthew would not want this and would prefer the work to go on as normal. So it will take place as a tribute to Matthew.

All at the club send our condolences to Marek and the rest of the family.

BY ROY IZZARD