A MEMORIAL football match will be played in honour of a popular young Worcester man who died following a cardiac arrest.

The James Milbourne Memorial Football Match will take place at the football pitches at Bilford Road, Worcester, next Sunday (September 13) which would have been his 30th birthday.

The match, which will raise money for the British Heart Foundation, will kick-off at the pitch opposite Nuffield Health and Bowl Xtreme at 11am.

The 90 minute, 11-aside match involves GDL Athletic against the Saracens Head 11, also known as the Rat House Rovers. James often used to drink in the pub in The Tything and flowers were left for him outside the pub following his death.

James Milbourne, aged 29, known as ‘Milb’ to his friends, was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester from his home in the city's Infirmary Walk on Thursday , July 9 after he suffered a cardiac arrest.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics to save him he died at around 12.30am on Friday, July 10.

Chris Walton who helped to organise the memorial football match said: "My personal journey with Milb began at high school (RGS Worcester) where we would occasionally play football together in the playground during our early teenage years - much to the displeasure of our parents I'm sure as we would destroy our freshly polished shoes each time."

He met him again when James came with a mutual friend to play a regular yet casual game of five a-side with us on Thursday evenings, displaying his 'silky skills' which included drag backs, step overs, nutmegs and jinking runs often followed by a powerful shot which would often bulge the back of the net.

He said: "As you can imagine, I was keen to get him signed up for our Sunday league side but my main obstacle was persuading Milb to get his alarm clock set reasonably early on a Sunday morning, a common stumbling block for the recruitment plans of Sunday league managers up and down the country I'm sure."

James got involved with GDL Athletic in the summer of 2014 and was top goal scorer last season, scoring 16 goals in just 15 appearances. The number nine shirt has now been retired in his honour.

Mr Walton said: "His regular goalscoring and witty, sociable personality made him one of the more popular figures in our dressing room.

"Milb was a hugely skilful footballer at our level of the game. He was a real threat with the ball at his feet, had a thunderous finish with both right and left feet and would score all types of goals whether it be tap ins, headers, one on ones or long range screamers.

"It will be very difficult for us to replace his contributions on the pitch, but impossible to replace him off the pitch."

Thanks go to Worcester Saints FC and Hylton Road Rovers FC (who will also be playing at Bilford Road that morning) for their understanding and co-operation in allowing the teams use of this pitch.

There will be donation buckets for British Heart Foundation. Those who cannot go can donate at www.justgiving.com/Chris-Walton84.