A tragic loss of a talented 13-year-old soccer player leaves a community in shock. His sudden and unexplained death leaves many questions unanswered.
A teenager from Oxfordshire has 'died suddenly and unexpectedly' at home following a weekend playing for his local soccer team. Matthew Cowley, known to his mates as Matty, was said to be a talented footballer and was the star player for his local team Deddington Town FC Under 14s side. Matthew died suddenly at home on Monday, 13th November 2023, he was just 13 years old.
Matthew's family are said to be devistated by his loss. In a statement they said Mathew was the much loved son of Michael and Samantha and an adored brother of Madison and Amie.
The sudden and unexpected death of Matthew has hit the local community hard. Matthew was a fit and healthy young boy who loved nothing more than to play football for his local team. His team mates have posted dozens of heartfelt messages on social media, and had two minutes silence before their match last weekend. A Go Fund Me page has also been set up to aquire a park bench that will be dedicated to their star player at the training ground.
A spokesman for Banbury United, who Matthew wanted to play for once old enough, said “Matty had strong family connections, past and present, to Banbury United and the wider local football community. “His grandad was John Evans, one of Banbury United's former players and an old manager for the youth teams."
It is not expected that a post-mortem examination will be carried out to discover the cause of death, despite the unexpected death of a child being more than sufficient criteria. Local Health authorities have not commented.