A DEFIBRILLATOR is set to be installed at a football stadium following the death of a young player.

Halstead Town Football Club began fundraising for two defibrillators following the tragic death of 18-year-old Jack Atkinson.

Now they have been given the money for one of the life-saving devices and are half way towards the cost of another.

Football-mad Jack suffered a heart attack while playing in a Sunday League game in Clacton in November.

He was treated at the scene before being airlifted to Harefield Hospital in a critical condition.

However, despite the efforts to save him, Jack died.

Halstead Town FC were moved by Jack’s death and decided it wanted to install defibrillators, which can be used to restart the heart, following Jack’s tragic death.

They began fundraising and appealing for money.

The club hoped to raise £2,000 - enough for a defibrillator at their home ground, the Milbank Stadium, and also one for the Courtauld Sports Ground where 15 youth teams play, as well as a local rugby and bowls club.

Funeral directors Daniel Robinson and Sons stepped in to pay for one defibrillator which will be installed Milbank Stadium.

And after a successful fundraising Christmas Eve Party, the club are half-way to securing a second defibrillator to install at Courtaulds Sports Ground.

Carl Pearse, youth team secretary, said: “It is a relief to know that one defibrillator has been taken care of.

“Daniel Robinsons have been generous, not only taking on the costs but they have also agreed to set up training once the defibrillator has been installed, which will be hugely beneficial.

“Purely from a footballing point of view, recent events really do hammer home the importance of having a defibrillator on site.

“With Jack Atkinson, he would have had a 95 per cent chance of surviving if their had been a defibrillator available.”

Mr Pearse added: “As a club, we felt it was hugely important to have one on site.

“We never want to use one and we hope we never have to but at the end of the day they save lives, and you can’t overlook that.”

Daniel Robinson and Sons will fund the new defibrillator with leftover money from last year’s annual charity golf day.

The event raised £40,000 which was divided between a number of local causes.

Bob Wright, manager at Daniel Robinson and Sons in Halstead, said: “We are celebrating 125 years in business this year, so we are hoping to continue our community involvement.

“We try to do what we can within the community already but we are hoping for a bit of an extra push this year.

“We spotted the article in the Gazette a couple of weeks ago about the football club attempting to fundraise.

“We already have a pretty good relationship with them, we do some match sponsorship and that kind of thing, so it was simple enough for us to contact them and get involved.”

The defibrillator is set to be delivered within the next week and Daniel Robinson and Sons are keen to provide training as soon as possible.

A memorial match was held following Jack’s death at Clacton Coastal Academy, where he was a student.

It raised money for the the Essex Air Ambulance which airlifted Jack to hospital and the charity CRY - Cardiac Risk in the Young.

Close friend Shane Spacey also set up a Go Fund Me page and raised an incredible £9,500.